Updated October 06, 2014.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Chronic pain of any kind -- or pain that lasts longer than three months -- can be an indication that something in your body is not working quite right. One person may suffer chronic pain in his or her lower back, perhaps from a herniated disc, but another person may have long term pain in his or her belly caused by endometriosis.  

The term stomach pain is a poor catchall phrase, but it has been around forever.

You have many different organs in your abdomen, and there is no way to be sure that your stomach is the culprit of any abdominal pains, although it often gets labeled that way. Regardless of the cause, any type of chronic pain needs to be investigated by your doctor, but it doesn't always signify a life-threatening illness.

Although most "stomach pains" are caused by a problem within your gastrointestinal system, abdominal pain can also arise from your genitourinary (kidneys, bladder) or reproductive organs, or even from a problem with your blood supply or muscles in that area. Chronic "stomach pains" canbe a sign of late colon cancer, but it is not all that common. Actually, the majority of people deny any symptoms prior to getting diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  

Talking to Your Doctor

Hopefully you've arranged an appointment to discuss this pain with your doctor. If the pains haven't abated in three months there is a very good chance they will not go away without medical intervention.

 When you go to see the doctor, he or she will ask many questions about your stomach pain. Although the amount of questions may seem ridiculous, your doctor has very good reason for the inquisition.

Be prepared to answer questions about the description of your pain -- is it sharp and stabbing, burning, or a general achy cramp? Also be ready to discuss the frequency that you hurt, how long it hurts for, and if there is anything that helps relieve the pain (passing stool, vomiting, urination) or makes the pain worse (standing, walking, passing stool). Your doctor is gathering this detailed history because sometimes the type, duration, location or intensity of the pain lets he or she know if this needs to be investigated further now or if you can take a wait-and-watch approach.

During the Exam

During the physical -- or hands on -- portion of your exam the doctor is looking to complete the picture you provided with your pain and medical history. He or she will be looking at your abdomen to see if there are any unusual findings that support your complaints of pain including:

• Bloating
• Rigidity
• Too loud or absent bowel sounds
• Tenderness or pain with pressure
• Any unusual masses or lumps

Your doctor may also ask many questions that seem completely unrelated to "stomach pain" including questions about diet, weight loss and your menses (for women). Likewise, it is important to bring an up to date medication list to your appointment. Make sure to include any over the counter or herbal supplements you might be taking as well. Sometimes, the chronic pain can be caused by nothing more than a medication interaction that can be quickly remedied but changing your prescriptions or stopping an over the counter supplement.

What Could Be Causing It?

There are literally dozens of reasons people suffer chronic abdominal pain. Some of the most common causes include:

• Cirrhosis
• Gallstones
• Crohn's disease or Ulcerative Colitis
• Diverticulitis
• Endometriosis
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Ulcers
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Pancreatitis

Your doctor may choose to encourage further testing, such as blood labs, x-rays, or even computed tomography (CT) scans to find the cause of your pain. The majority of these tests are very straightforward, painless, and carry very little risk.

Treatment

Since the etiology of abdominal pain is so diverse, the treatment of your pain is dependent upon the cause. Ulcerative colitis is treated far differently than endometriosis, for example. It should be noted that sometimes, in very rare cases, your doctor will not be able to target a cause of the pain.

<sub>Sources:

American Academy of Family Physicians. (n.d.). Abdominal Pain, Long Term. Accessed online September 25, 2014.

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. (n.d.). Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome. Accessed online September 25, 2014.</sub>