Abdominal Pain

Advanced Pain Management

Pain Management Specialists located in Evans, GA & Thomson, GA

Abdominal pain stems from many different causes, and not all are gastrointestinal. At Advanced Pain Management in Evans, Georgia, the team of pain management specialists uses advanced diagnostic technology and the latest interventional pain treatments to reduce chronic abdominal pain. From muscle blocks to transverse abdominis blocks, Advanced Pain Management has many therapeutic procedures to help you lead a pain-free life. For more information, call the office or schedule a visit online.

Abdominal Pain Q & A

What is abdominal pain?

Characterized by discomfort that occurs anywhere between the chest and pelvic area, abdominal pain covers a wide range of conditions and ailments. The organs most often associated with this type of pain are the stomach, kidneys, liver, intestines, appendix, and uterus, and ovaries in women.

What causes abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain can be dull, sharp, achy, intermittent, or chronic. While most people associate this type of pain with gastrointestinal problems, that isn’t always the case. It can develop from tissues and muscles in the abdominal wall, or stem from organs within the abdominal cavity.

Some of the most common causes of abdominal pain causes include:

Indigestion
Abdominal muscle injury
Inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS)
Crohn’s disease
Constipation
Kidney stones
Menstrual cramps
Celiac disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Abdominal hernia
Ulcerative colitis
Stomach cancer
Ulcers
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Chronic pelvic neuropathy
Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES)

Many conditions that cause abdominal pain are managed by a gastroenterologist. However, patients with pain caused by abdominal nerve issues, muscle problems, or cancer often respond better to interventional pain techniques when appropriate.

Which interventional techniques treat abdominal pain?

Advanced Pain Management offers the following interventional abdominal pain treatments at their office:

Sympathetic block

Sympathetic nerve blocks are often used to treat chronic pain. The team may suggest this treatment to reduce the uncomfortable side effects of conditions like pancreatitis, CRPS, pancreatic cancer, upper abdominal viscera pain, and more.

Depending on the location of your pain, the team either injects the nerve block in the stellate ganglion near your neck, or they can inject a lumbar sympathetic block into one of the ganglion nerves toward the lower spine.

Celiac plexus block

A celiac plexus block is an injection of pain medication that helps relieve abdominal pain that hasn’t responded positively to alternative treatments. These injections are especially helpful to patients suffering from pancreatitis and certain abdominal cancers.

Transverse abdominis block

A transverse abdominis block is a peripheral nerve block that reduces pain in the anterior abdominal wall caused by nerve damage or irritation. These injections can help dramatically reduce both skin and muscle pain that stems from the abdominal wall.

Muscle block

A muscle block can help relieve abdominal pain caused by an injury to the abdominal muscles.

If chronic abdominal pain is stopping you from living a healthy, functional life, call the experts at Advanced Pain Management, or schedule an appointment online.