ABDOMINAL PAIN

WHAT IS IT?

Abdominal pain refers to physical discomfort inside the abdomen or the outer muscle wall. While abdominal pain is often described as “stomach pain”, the abdomen region covers the area between your chest and groin. Groin pain refers to physical discomfort in the area where the inside of your upper thigh and your abdomen come together. Groin pain is most often caused by an injury or strain to the muscle, tendons or ligaments in the area of the groin. Acute abdominal or groin pain caused by injury or strain may start to improve within 10-14 days or resolve with modification of activities and instruction in appropriate exercising and self-management. However, abdominal or groin pain that lasts three months or longer is considered chronic.

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ABDOMINAL PAIN

WHAT CAUSES IT?

Common causes of abdominal and groin pain include:

  • Injury or sprain – groin injuries often result from sports or activities that involve rapid changes in speed and direction, such as kickboxing. The most common strains that occur with respect to the groin are adductor strains. The adductors refer to the inner thigh muscles
  • Post-surgical pain – this can refer to persistent pain following a hernia repair during which a nerve can be injured in the abdomen and groin area
  • Sports hernia – this is when a person tears the tendons that attach to the pelvis and is often the result of sports that require twisting motions or sudden changes of direction, such as rugby and skiing
  • An inguinal hernia – this occurs when part of the bowel pushes through a gap in the abdominal wall causing groin pain that extends to the hip joint

ABDOMINAL PAIN

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Initial treatments for acute abdominal or groin pain might include:

  • Medications, such as over-the-counter analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs (Paracetamol or Ibuprofen)
  • Gentle stretching to improve the range of motion
  • Heat or ice packs
  • Physical therapy programs


If you are not improving with over-the-counter or prescription medication, as well as physiotherapy, your healthcare professional might recommend:

  • Nerve blocks
  • Neuromodulation or spinal cord stimulation (SCS), which works to reduce pain by altering the pain signals as they travel up the spinal cord to the brain. A generator, similar to a cardiac pacemaker sends electrical pulses to a thin wire called a lead. The lead is placed in the epidural space and delivers pulses to nerves along the spinal cord. The pulses modify the pain signals as they travel to different parts in the brain

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