Your abdomen is home to your digestive organs. For women, it’s also where many reproductive organs are located. A great many things can go wrong and cause abdominal pain.
At Family Acupuncture and Wellness, our goal is to keep you as healthy and productive as possible, and that includes helping you when you have unexplained pain. Adam Learner, L.Ac. and his team are dedicated to helping you enjoy optimal health. We practice functional medicine, which may include nutritional advice, herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, or many other therapies and modalities, depending on your needs.
The most common types of abdominal pain are temporary. Gas pain, a pulled or strained muscle, heartburn, and many others inconvenience you, but don’t usually disrupt your normal activities.
In some cases, abdominal pain becomes chronic, which means it lasts for more than three months and doesn’t stop hurting. It may also be recurring, which means it is off and on, but you continue to have some pain for a long time. You may also have progressive pain, which means that it gets worse over time.
Some of the possible causes of chronic pain, whether recurring or constant, include:
There are many others, as well. Because you have so many organs, muscles, and tissues in your abdomen, there are hundreds of potential causes of pain.
The goal of functional medicine is to address the underlying issue that is causing your symptoms. We aren’t going to suggest treatments designed for your symptoms; instead, we will treat whatever it is that is causing your symptoms. For example, if you have chronic abdominal pain because you have a reaction to gluten, we will help you develop a diet plan that meets your nutritional needs and doesn’t include gluten.
The first thing you can expect is a thorough evaluation. We want to discuss your symptoms, your medical history, and much more. We may order blood work to determine if you have any specific nutritional deficiencies.
Once our team knows why you’re having pain, we can begin to tailor a treatment plan to meet your needs. It may include therapies you’ve never considered, but our staff carefully explains how each suggested treatment can help.
We seek to treat you as a whole person, which means that we may ask questions about your sleep habits, stress levels, and many other lifestyle factors. You may be surprised to learn how important things like proper sleep and learning relaxation techniques help your symptoms as we work to address the underlying cause of your problem.
If you would like to schedule an appointment to discuss your ongoing abdominal pain, you’re welcome to use our online scheduling tools for both new and returning patients, or to call us at 603-556-8908.
