Visceral Pain
Visceral pain may not be a well-known term, but it is a very common experience and a leading cause of visits to hospital emergency departments. Visceral pain means pain occurring from any internal organ. It includes chronic chest pain, chronic pelvic pain, functional abdominal pain, pancreatitis, bladder pain and bowel pain. In some cases, there is no obvious reason for the pain.
Management
If visceral pain is related to a non-life threatening condition, then it should be treated accordingly. If the condition has been identified, then there will be a clear pathway for management and possibly recovery. In other cases, the most effective approach will be through multidisciplinary pain management combined with self-management.
Help & Resources
Fact sheets
- Pancreatitis (International Association for the Study of Pain)
- Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (International Association for the Study of Pain)
- Bladder pain (Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia)
- An Irritable Bowel (Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Women’s Health and Research Institute of Australia)
- Bladder Pain Syndrome (Women’s Health and Research Institute of Australia)