Re: Size of the gallstone VS. size of the bile duct

The average bile duct is about 6mm measured at rest, that is without the gallbladder being contracted. Because the common bile is sealed at one end by a circular muscle when the gallbladder contracts the diameter of the bile duct expands a little. The circular muscle called the sphincter of oddi relaxes and tightens allowing the bile to spurt into the duodenum. When you take a strong solution of Epsom Salts it relaxes this muscle allowing he passage of particles including calcified gallstones.

People with Gallstones often (but not always) a larger than normal bile duct diameter usually around 8mm and up to 16mm. Common bile duct diameter measurements are sometimes used for diagnosis of non-opaque Gallstones (those that don't show on ultra-sound)

Calcified cholesterol Gallstones (the most common type) are usually grow to about 10mm in diameter. The existence of gallstones often reduce how much the gallbladder contracts and the stones are often laying in the sticky bile at the walls of the gallbladder. Consequently, it is unlikely that you will expel the gallstones with a single even a few liver-flushes. Despite this you should still see the green/yellow stones that are so common. Hidden among debris may be one or more of your calcified gallstones. Even so they are not hard like a true stone and may be crushed with force of a finger and thumb.

Here is the link to the Chinese article:

http://www.itmonline.org/arts/gallstones.htm


You may also be interested to know that in a little publicised article; a study carried out in 1989 had a 70% success rate in expelling gallstones using ear point acupuncture along with eating a lard fried egg each day to stimulate the gallbladder. I only give this as example to illustrate that gallstones can be passed.