Four Unconventional Techniques For Managing Abdominal Pain

By Matt Nagin

2 min read

IBD sufferers frequently experience abdominal pain. This is often chronic and debilitating. In other cases, it can force you to go to the hospital for an obstruction. Certainly, at the very least, it is often something that requires day-to-day management.

Because this is such a common problem among Crohn’s sufferers, I'm sharing four treatments I've used over the years to help manage my own abdominal pain. Consult with your doctor before trying any of these methods. Also, be sure to research them to ensure they are an appropriate fit for you.

DMSO for pain control

DMSO has been used for many years as a means of pain control. It is a liquid you apply topically on the affected area—in this case, the abdomen. Let it sit there for ten minutes or so before washing it off. Note: DMSO is a solvent, which means it absorbs anything it comes in contact with into your bloodstream.

Hence, before applying it, you should wash the affected area and your hands with filtered water and then do so again after. I have had some success with DMSO. There was a 60 Minutes episode on DMSO.

Using essential oils for abdominal pain

An M.D. who explored alternative modalities suggested I rub blue chamomile essential oil around my navel when feeling lousy. This is certainly not a cure. But I’ve found it to be relaxing. It additionally frequently makes some of my deleterious pain symptoms more manageable.

Smokeless Moxa Sticks

This is a pain management aid from the field of Chinese Medicine. Working on the same principles as acupuncture, a Moxa Stick is a black stick shaped like a cigar. You place this stick over a flame till it starts to burn. You then wait till it heats up and bring it close to key pressure points that aid in digestion.

One is the navel...you encircle the area for a few minutes. Another is right below the knee on each leg...you hold it there for a few minutes. The goal is to get close to the skin, but obviously don’t touch it (as you don’t want to get burned). Note: Get the smokeless moxa sticks because the smoke sticks will smell up your apartment and possibly even set off your fire alarm.

Homeopathic Medicine

Homeopathic Medicine was developed by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. Some question its effectiveness, even referring to it as a pseudo-science. Maybe. Or perhaps it’s just a placebo.

All I know is I buy these little blue tubes they sell at health food markets, put the five pellets under my tongue, and sometimes feel relief. It's certainly not a cure, granted, but it's nice to have another treatment option to fall back on.

Thanks for reading, and if you have questions about any of the treatment modalities mentioned above, feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to help in any way I can.

Additionally, I'd love to hear about your own strategies for managing abdominal pain and moderating other deleterious symptoms in the comments below.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The InflammatoryBowelDisease.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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ejwithj-pouch Member
Dear Matt, Good article. Because here's the deal from my experience: as long as these potential helps don't harm anything (hence the "consult your doctor&quot😉, why not try them? For bloating, I find rolling on one of those huge inflated exercise balls in small circles in the direction of intestines to sometimes help. I just do it for a few minutes. Hurts (sometimes intensely) at first, then sometimes a bit of relief. Also, corn bags warmed in the microwave. I don't find a heating pad helpful, plus I like how the corn bags slowly and naturally lose their heat. Often this is the only way I can fall asleep with the relentless pain. Just some thoughts that might help others. Different things work for different folks, and at different times! Eunice
1. Matt Nagin Moderator
 Hi Eunice, Thanks for this feedback! I never tried either of those techniques but will look into them. Wonder what kind of corn bags you mean? Regardless, it's great you found techniques that help you fall asleep and manage symptoms. Yes, overall, I think we should be willing to try whatever we can. If we're suffering, then trial and error can be one way to find new treatment modalities. Be Well, Matt (Team Member)
thedancingcrohnie Moderator & Contributor
Matt, For abdominal pain I use a heating pad, essential oils like Copaiba and Peppermint and mostly just crawl into the fetal position and try to sleep it off. -Elizabeth (team member)
1. Matt Nagin Moderator
 <inline-mention username="thedancingcrohnie" user-id="2240052"/> Those all sound great! Best, Matt (Team Member)
Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford Moderator & Contributor
Thanks for sharing Matt! I think most of us have tried some really random stuff out of desperation on occasion, and on a rarer occasion actually found a little relief. I am all for trying things to see if anything in the alternative medicine area actually helps a little. Obviously, I would never replace my medical teams advice and treatments with them, but as an addition, I have found essential oils very useful. I have also found that lot of the stuff going on outside the intestine can be aided in small ways with alternative medicine. You never know until you try! ~ Sahara (team member)
Matt Nagin Moderator
Hi Sahara, Absolutely. That is what doctors tell me as well...to not give up traditional medicine but do the alternative as an adjunct to it. Best, Matt (Team Member)

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