Chronic abdominal pain is persistent abdominal (stomach or belly) pain that causes constant or recurring bouts of discomfort for at least three months. In some cases, chronic abdominal pain in children may be caused by an underlying condition. These conditions could include Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, constipation, or lactose intolerance. However, in most cases, the pain is not tied to any known cause.

Symptoms of chronic abdominal pain can include nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and pain around the belly button. While not all patients experience severe symptoms, children with chronic abdominal pain can develop symptoms painful enough to interfere with regular activities. Recurrent chronic abdominal pain in children is believed to be most common before puberty, with the first bout often occurring between the ages of 5-7. 

Our Team

An experienced, interdisciplinary care team works with each patient and family to manage a child's pain by promoting healthy daily functioning and pain coping skills using an interdisciplinary rehabilitation model. Our team includes:

  • Pediatric pain fellowship-trained physician
  • Child psychiatrists
  • Pediatricians
  • Pediatric rehabilitation physicians
  • Pediatric psychologists/cognitive behavioral therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Social workers
  • Care coordinators
  • Case managers
  • Educators
  • Child life specialists
  • Nurses/nurse practitioners
  • Therapeutic recreation specialists

Our Treatment Approach

We offer a multimodal approach to pain management that includes:

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy  (e.g. deep controlled diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, interactive distraction, guided visual imagery, cognitive restructuring, biofeedback, mindfulness, meditation)
  • Physical Therapy (functional, manual and visceral therapies, heat/cold)
  • Occupational therapy (activities of daily living)
  • Non-narcotic pain medications
  • Interventional pain procedures under sedation
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
  • Other novel and emerging treatment modalities for pain management

As one of the few hospitals in the country to offer interventional pain services for children guided by imaging in an operating room, we offer the following procedures:

  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Facet joint injections
  • Sacroiliac joint injections
  • Piriformis injections
  • Muscle and joint injections
  • Occipital nerve blocks
  • Abdominal blocks (e.g., transverse abdominis plane [TAP] and rectus sheath blocks)
  • Intercostal nerve blocks
  • Sternum injections
  • Bursa injections
  • Scar injections
  • Peripheral nerve blocks
  • Trigger point injections