Principles & Practice of Pain Medicine > Part IV. Pain by Anatomic Location > D. Abdomen, Pelvis, and Genitalia > Chapter 34. Abdominal Pain Alicja Soczewko Steiner

Psychosomatic Causes of Abdominal Pain

"The abdomen is the third most common site of pain in psychiatric patients. Diagnosis of psychological pain can be made based on exclusion criteria. There are some signs that can be helpful or supportive. Suspicion is raised when location, timing, quality, and distribution of symptoms do not relate to pathophysiologic patterns. There is often marked discrepancy between reported severity of pain and presented behavior. The patient sometimes reports pain in other parts of body and may have a history of many negative diagnostic workups for various complaints. The onset of pain may have an obvious relationship to a stressful event...."