Dr. Adams
02-08-2008, 05:35 PM
"A review of 6 small trials of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) vs other interventions for recurrent abdominal pain suggests that most children are likely to improve with reassurance and time, but CBT might be warranted for children with severe or continuing problems. Evidence for the effectiveness of CBT is relatively weak, since the studies were small and had methodological flaws.
The most important finding here is that there seems to be some evidence of benefit of psychosocial interventions in reducing the pain of school-age children with recurrent abdominal pain.
Recurrent abdominal pain is very common in children, and between 4% and 25% of school-age children complain of pain that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities, the group writes. The abdominal pain is often accompanied by headaches, limb pain, pallor, and vomiting.
In most cases, no organic causes can be identified, and the etiology of the pain remains unclear. Child temperament along with anxiety in parents is a strong predictor of this problem. Food allergies and a low-fiber diet have been suggested as possible causes, and some authors recommend dietary manipulations. A variety of drugs, including sedatives, have occasionally been used. But most clinicians continue to view this as a psychogenic problem, and many children receive psychological interventions. In recurrent abdominal pain cases, there is evidence that the pain is real although the main organic cause is still not clear, it seems that there is an important mental component."
Most of the body's serotonin is in the nerves of the bowels, not the brain, so problems with this system could be a factor in recurrent abdominal pain of the "abdominal-migraine" type."
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(1):CD003014.
The most important finding here is that there seems to be some evidence of benefit of psychosocial interventions in reducing the pain of school-age children with recurrent abdominal pain.
Recurrent abdominal pain is very common in children, and between 4% and 25% of school-age children complain of pain that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities, the group writes. The abdominal pain is often accompanied by headaches, limb pain, pallor, and vomiting.
In most cases, no organic causes can be identified, and the etiology of the pain remains unclear. Child temperament along with anxiety in parents is a strong predictor of this problem. Food allergies and a low-fiber diet have been suggested as possible causes, and some authors recommend dietary manipulations. A variety of drugs, including sedatives, have occasionally been used. But most clinicians continue to view this as a psychogenic problem, and many children receive psychological interventions. In recurrent abdominal pain cases, there is evidence that the pain is real although the main organic cause is still not clear, it seems that there is an important mental component."
Most of the body's serotonin is in the nerves of the bowels, not the brain, so problems with this system could be a factor in recurrent abdominal pain of the "abdominal-migraine" type."
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(1):CD003014.