In some cases, upper abdominal pain may be associated with the liver — an organ that is located just under your rib cage and extends to the right side of your body.
Your liver plays an important role in the function and digestion of fats in the body. But if you’re experiencing liver pain during or after exercise, it’s important to figure out why.
Symptoms of Liver Pain
When you exercise, you are using several muscle groups throughout the body, even if you’re not targeting them specifically.
Muscles can easily become fatigued after a workout, which is why you’ll often feel sore after exercising. However, any pain or soreness should go away after a couple of days of rest and recovery, according to Mass General Brigham.
But if you’re experiencing ongoing pain after exercise, it may be due to an underlying health concern.
Abdominal pain where your liver is can feel like a dull ache just below your breastbone that can extend into your mid to lower back. Or it can feel like a sharp pain under the breastbone that extends to your right side.
However, if you have an underlying liver condition, symptoms like jaundice (the yellowing of the eyes and skin), swelling in the legs, dark-colored urine, and nausea may also be common, according to Mayo Clinic.
Causes of Liver Problems
Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right side, can occur when you have underlying liver conditions.
What exactly causes liver disease can vary from person to person. Cleveland Clinic states that common causes of liver disease include viral infections, like hepatitis B or C, heavy alcohol use over a long period of time, and excess fat storage in your liver caused by conditions like obesity and high blood sugar.
If you develop any of these conditions, it can cause liver inflammation and manifest as upper abdominal pain, which may worsen when you exercise or work out your abdominal muscles.
Don’t wait for symptoms to worsen before seeing your healthcare provider. If you notice something off with your body, seeking medical support can help you heal and lower your risk of unintended complications.
How to Diagnose and Treat Liver Pain
If you’ve been working out and experiencing persistent liver pain, it’s a good idea to see your healthcare provider.
The only way to accurately determine if the pain in your abdomen is in fact caused by your liver is to undergo a series of tests. These tests can rule out other plausible causes and help your provider understand what is causing your pain.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, your healthcare provider may order liver function exams that check your AST and ALT (types of liver enzymes), bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase levels to learn whether your liver is inflamed, injured, or dysfunctioning.
Your exact treatment plan depends on what’s causing your pain and what your test results show.
If your test results are normal, your provider may recommend taking a short break from strenuous exercise or suggest other lifestyle strategies, like adjusting your diet, increasing your water intake, or reducing alcohol use.
If your results are concerning, your provider will discuss whether there’s any need for additional testing and recommend treatment options that can help you feel better.
