Abdominal Pain Pain Management in Knoxville, TN
Aafp.org estimates up to 20% of doctor’s office visits in the United States are because of abdominal pain, that statistic is higher in an emergency room setting. Abdominal pain or stomach pain is something we’ve all experienced as a kid. Often it was triggered by the flu, eating too much candy, constipation, or perhaps even because of nervousness. In most instances, the pain was temporary and didn’t require medical intervention. In Knoxville pain clinic, abdominal pain is a common reason for medical visits. However, many people suffer from consistent and relentless stomach pain that interferes with daily function. So severe it leaves them bedridden or consumed with pain. The first step is to understand what stomach pain is and figure out why you are having abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is any pain you are facing between your groin and your chest, according to nlm.nih.gov experts. The trouble with stomach pain is the degree of severity doesn’t usually reflect the seriousness of the pain. A hernia can be just as excruciatingly painful as bloating or diarrhea or vice versa. You may also suffer from a potentially life threatening belly pain like appendicitis or colon cancer and feel little to no pain. Frustrating to say the least. Which makes it very important to stay tuned into your body and report any changes in your health to your doctor early.Abdominal pain may be described as:
- General Pain – Where it sits in the area of your belly but not one specific location.
- Crampy Pain – This sort of gut pain usually isn’t serious, more like annoying. It comes and goes and is often gas and bloating issues.
- Local Pain – This is pain that is in one specific region of the stomach and usually signals a more complex issues like appendicitis.
- Intermittent Pain – It comes in waves and normally starts and stops abruptly. Kidney stones are a common example.
Common abdominal issues that need medical attention:
- Pancreatitis
- Gastritis
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Gastroenteritis
- Cancer of the Stomach
- Diverticulitis
- GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux)
- Crohn’s Disease
- Endometriosis
- Tubal Pregnancy
- Urinary Tract Infection
What helps stomach pain?
Here are a few pointers you can try to ease basic abdominal pain:- Drink lots of water to make sure your system is fully hydrated. This also helps push food through your digestive tract if that’s the issue.
- Stay away from pills unless you’ve discussed this with your pain management team or doctor. Just a good rule of thumb.
- Steer away from solid food when in pain and if you are eating keep it bland and in small amounts.
- Exercise regularly to help keep your internal systems running optimally.
- Eat healthy well-balanced meals with plenty of fibrous fresh vegetables and fruits.