No two patients have the same types of pain, and each chronic pain experience is unique. This is perhaps especially true for those suffering from visceral pain disorder. For pain sufferers, it’s important to understand what visceral pain is and how to get help for it.
What Is a Visceral Pain Disorder?
The definition of visceral pain disorder is “pain that results from the activation of nociceptors in … visceral structures.” These typically include structures in your abdomen and pelvis. These areas aren’t as sensitive as limbs or digits to common pain stimuli, such as cuts or burns. You’re more likely to experience pain in these areas from stretching, inflammation and infection.
Visceral pain disorder can come from several sources and is sometimes difficult to diagnose because patients only report vague pain in non-specific areas. Sources of visceral pain include kidney or gallstones (called referred pain) or pain that radiates from areas like the jaw, neck or back. Our team is trained to determine the cause of referred pain, including muscles or internal organs.
Treatment options
You’ll need a consultation appointment before visceral pain can be treated. In this appointment, we will discuss where and when the pain originated, any triggers and other pertinent information. Since visceral pain is fairly non-specific, we cannot start treatment until we have a good idea of your pain’s root cause. Once you’ve undergone a consultation and diagnostics, we offer several treatment options. These include oral medications, physical therapy, biofeedback and nerve blocks. Our goal is to avoid surgical procedures when possible, although we offer minimally invasive procedures for certain types of visceral pain, such as pain in thoracic structures.
For visceral pain, we suggest a variety of medications. These include NSAIDs. like aspirin or ibuprofen, and opioid analgesics. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can be used to treat chronic pain, especially nerve pain, as well. We also treats patients with more serious illnesses, such as pelvic cancers. Many of these patients can benefit from nerve blocks.
If you’re suffering form visceral pain, give us a call at (615) 410-4990 to schedule an appointment or request an appointment online. We’ll review your situation and determine the best treatment for you.