Abdominal pain facts and causes

Abdominal pain facts

• Abdominal pain is pain that is felt in the abdomen.
• Abdominal pain comes from organs within the abdomen or organs adjacent to the abdomen.
• Abdominal pain is caused by inflammation, distention of an organ, or by loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) may be caused by contraction of the intestinal muscles or hyper-sensitivity to normal intestinal activities.
• The cause of abdominal pain is diagnosed on the basis of the characteristics of the pain, physical examination, and testing. Occasionally, surgery is necessary for diagnosis.
• The diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain is challenging because the characteristics of the pain may be atypical, tests are not always abnormal, diseases causing pain may mimic each other, and the characteristics of the pain may change over time

Abdominal Pain Causes

What are the "more serious" causes of abdominal pain?

Unfortunately, the more serious causes can be almost any cause, including most of the ones listed above as "less serious" causes. Consequently, the subjective requirements that most doctors consider as serious causes of abdominal pain are any causes that may generate at least one or more of the following signs or symptoms:

Pain in the belly (abdomen) can come from conditions affecting a variety of organs. The abdomen is an anatomical area that is bounded by the lower margin of the ribs above, the pelvic bone (pubic ramus) below, and the flanks on each side. Although abdominal pain can arise from the tissues of the abdominal wall that surround the abdominal cavity (for example, skin and abdominal wall muscles), the term abdominal pain generally is used to describe pain originating from organs within the abdominal cavity (for example, beneath the skin and muscles). These organs include the stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Occasionally, pain may be felt in the abdomen even though it is arising from organs that are close to but not within the abdominal cavity, for example, the lower lungs, the kidneys, and the uterus or ovaries. This latter type of pain is called "referred" pain because the pain, though originating outside the abdomen, is being referred to (felt) in the abdominal area

How is the cause of abdominal pain diagnosed?

Doctors determine the cause of abdominal pain by relying on:

1. characteristics of the pain,
2. findings on physical examination,
3. laboratory, radiological, and endoscopic testing, and
4. surgery.

What causes abdominal pain 

Abdominal pain is caused by inflammation (for example,appendicitis,diverticulitis, colitis), by stretching or distention of an organ (for example, obstruction of the intestine, blockage of a bile duct by gallstones, swelling of the liver with hepatitis), or by loss of the supply of blood to an organ (for example, ischemic colitis).

To complicate matters, however, abdominal pain also can occur without inflammation, distention or loss of blood supply. An important example of this latter type of pain is the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is not clear what causes the abdominal pain in IBS, but it is believed to be due either to abnormal contractions of the intestinal muscles (for example, spasm) or abnormally sensitive nerves within the intestines that give rise to painful sensations inappropriately (visceral hyper-sensitivity). These latter types of pain are often referred to as functional pain because no recognizable (visible) causes for the pain have been found - at least not yet.

Facts on Abdominal Pain

Feel the Pain

Pain that flares up from just under your rib cage to above the pelvis bone, in front and on both sides is generally referred to as abdominal pain. Determine whether this uncomfortable feeling is caused by something wrong inside your abdominal cavity or by a pulled muscle or aching bone first off. The good news is that abdominal pain can often be a signal from the body to make a change of some kind. The bad news is that pain in the abdomen can be a sign of a serious problem.

Pick up the Pace

Extreme athletes and exercise fanatics often over-extend their limits and don't know when to slow down. Someone who suddenly decides to develop a six-pack overnight may take on a rigorous workout of ab crunches. Putting that kind of sudden strain on muscles which have not been used so heavily will create pain. Starting any kind of exercise slowly always creates a much better environment, not only for overall health and pain prevention, but for the muscle improvement too.

Wait it Out

Take a break form any routines to see if the abdominal pain passes. Pushing on the area can determine if there is tenderness inside as well as creating even more pain. If it hurts when you push it, stop pushing and see what happens. The body needs a rest now and then.

Step on the gas

Eating poorly can be a major cause of abdominal pain. If you don't get enough roughage, you can develop acolon blockage. However, too much roughage can give you severe gas pains that make you feel like you're having a heart attack. A good bowel movement can relieve a host of problems that cause abdominal pain. However, worrying about making an impolite sound or smell in a crowded room may leave you doubled over in pain. Letting out a good fart could relieve that tension and the accompanying pain, but step outside or in a bathroom if you feel one coming.

Get out of the way

A doctor needs to be involved if rest, gentle exercise and regularity don't seem to solve the problem. Abdominal pain can be a sign of some serious diseases such as appendicitis, colitis, diverticulitis or gallstones. Emergency treatment is in order if you've eliminated lifestyle factors and still find yourself in pain. Be prepared with a history of the pain to help the doctor find the right diagnose. At the hospital, they will take blood tests to confirm any disease, but you should describe your symptoms, their severity and length.

If you have lower back pain, you may have been advised tostrengthen your abdominal muscles. Four muscles make up the abdominal wall: the rectus abdominis, the transverses abdominis and the internal and external obliques. Collectively, they help stabilize the lower back by increasing pressure within the abdomen. While some experts have advised specifically targeting the transversus to treat lower back pain, other researchers argue that contracting the entire abdominal wall results in greater spinal stability.

Transversus Abdominis Activation

In a classic study published in 1996 in "Spine," Australianresearchers asked healthy people and those with low back pain to raise one arm overhead, a task that requires spinal stabilization. The researchers found that in people with low back pain, there was a delay in the contraction of the transversus abdominis, compared to those without pain. The transversus is responsible for drawing in, or hollowing, the belly. While the authors of the study noted that it was unclear whether the delay in contraction of the transversus was related to the cause of back pain, many experts have since recommended exercises to strengthen the transversus to reduce the risk of low back pain.