Visceral Pain: Mechanisms, Syndromes, and Treatment

Patients with chronic visceral pain present a challenge for medical providers because of their vague presenting symptoms and frequent lack of identifiable pathology. Despite this, chronic visceral pain can be a debilitating medical condition that increases morbidity and decreases quality of life; the long-term consequences of which cause significant socioeconomic burden and debility. In this chapter, we will discuss the physiologic mechanisms of visceral pain transmission and visceral hyperalgesia. We will focus on the clinical evaluation and presentation of common chronic visceral pain conditions and discuss multimodal treatment options that can be used to assist patients and providers.