Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain is pain occurring in the area between the epigastrium and the top of the pubis. Generally speaking, the main organs involved are the Spleen, Large Intestine, Liver and Kidney, as well as their correspondent channels. Stagnation of Qi, either in the organs or meridians, is the chief pathology.

In TCM it is believed that either External or Internal causative factors may result in abdominal pain. External factors include invasion of Wind, Cold, Heat and Damp. Internal factors include Excess or deficiency due to constitution, age, emotional state, diet, overstrain and prolonged sickness, etc. Abdominal pain can also be caused by other factors such as trauma and accumulation of Damp-Phlegm. 

Abdominal pain may be attributed to any of the following diseases in modern medicine: enteritis, duodenal ulcer, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), sub-acute appendicitis, dysentery, hepatitis, hepatocirrhosis, adhesions in the abdomen after operation or chronic infection, tumour and ascariasis. Abdominal pain caused by urogenital diseases and lumbar disorders could be partially discussed here. It is strongly advised that acute abdominal pain accompanying the following diseases should be diagnosed and treated in combination with modern medicine: acute cholecystitis, acute intestinal hemorrhagia, perforation, obstruction of the large Intestine, intussusception, volvulus, acute pancreatitis, appendicitis, peritonitis, intoxication and allergy.