Abdominal Pain Specialist

What is abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain affects the space between your chest and pelvis. You’ve likely thought of abdominal pain as a stomachache, though the area also includes several other important organs such as your kidneys, liver, intestines, and pancreas. There are many causes of abdominal pain, but it most often results from digestive problems.

You may experience abdominal pain as:

• Nausea
• Bloating
• Twisting pain or feeling like your stomach is “in knots”
• A sharp pain that comes in waves

In many cases, abdominal pain does not necessarily mean you have a serious medical condition. Even so, the symptoms can greatly impact your quality of life. If you’re regularly experiencing abdominal pain, you should schedule an appointment at Excelsior Pain Management.

How is the cause of abdominal pain diagnosed?

Abdominal pain has many different causes, and the type of pain you feel, as well as the accompanying symptoms, help Dr. Chin determine the cause of your abdominal pain and whether you need to see a specialist for an underlying condition in addition to pain management.

Dr. Chin may ask questions about your abdominal pain, including:

• What kind of pain do you feel (sharp, dull, burning, etc.)?
• Where exactly do you experience the pain (in one specific area, throughout your abdomen, etc.)?
• Does the pain get worse after eating or having a bowel movement?
• Does the pain spread to other parts of your body?
• Are there other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation?

If the answers to these questions aren’t enough to diagnose the cause of your abdominal pain, Dr. Chin may order an imaging test like an X-ray or MRI. From there, he will recommend a treatment plan, which may include pain management treatments and as well as treating any underlying conditions.

How is abdominal pain treated?

In some cases, it’s not clear what causes abdominal pain, or the pain persists even with treatment of related conditions. Dr. Chin offers treatment options for stomach pain that directly targets nerve activity, essentially “shutting off” pain, including:

Stimulators

Dr. Chin implants a device that uses mild electrical pulses to block pain signals from reaching your brain. He’s trained in dorsal root ganglion stimulation, a cutting-edge treatment that can precisely target clusters of nerves. This treatment may be especially helpful if your abdominal pain is localized to a specific area.

Nerve blocks

Dr. Chin injects a topical anesthetic and steroid medication into the affected area to numb it, providing relief from pain.

Radiofrequency ablations

Electrical current from radio waves heats and destroys a specific area of nerve tissue, decreasing pain signals.

Don’t let abdominal pain ruin your quality of life any longer. Call Excelsior Pain Management or schedule an appointment online today.