What causes abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain can develop from a number of causes. You may be experiencing abdominal pain, or pain in your pelvic area, due to:
- Cancer
- Recent abdominal surgery
- Kidney stones
- Gallstones
- Hernia
- Endometriosis
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome
Infections, such as foodborne illness or a kidney infection, can also lead to abdominal or pelvic pain.
What are the common symptoms of abdominal pain?
The symptoms of abdominal pain can vary. Taking note of the type of pain you experience can help your specialist determine the underlying cause of your pain.
Symptoms of abdominal pain may include:
- Dull ache
- Cramping
- Sharp or shooting pain
The pain may be localized to one spot, or you may feel the pain all over. The pain may also be chronic or intermittent. Some causes of abdominal pain can also lead to diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
How is abdominal pain diagnosed?
If you don’t know the cause of your abdominal pain, your specialist at Regency Pain & Therapy Institute conducts a thorough evaluation to determine the reason for your discomfort. Your evaluation may include:
- Comprehensive physical exam
- Blood tests
- X-rays or MRI
- Review of your medical and family history
- Discussion of your symptoms
The specialists at Regency Pain & Therapy Institute focus on identifying the underlying cause of your abdominal pain so they can provide you with the most effective treatment to improve quality of life, restore function, and relieve pain.
How is abdominal pain managed?
Treatment of your abdominal pain is individualized based on the cause of your pain, your symptoms, and your medical history. Regency Pain & Therapy Institute is a full-service pain management practice that offers many cutting-edge treatments for abdominal and pelvic pain. Your treatment plan may include:
- Interventional pain management
- Regenerative medicine
- Pain pump
For cancer or post-operative pain management, your specialist may recommend the pain pump, which is a device that provides ongoing pain management. The device, which may be filled with low-dose baclofen, delivers medication directly to your spinal cord for pain relief.
Abdominal pain can affect many aspects of your life. The pain specialists at Regency Pain & Therapy Institute want nothing more than to get you back to doing what brings you joy. For management of your abdominal pain, call to make an appointment.
