Intestinal spasm

Intestinal spasm is paroxysmal abdominal pain caused by strong intermittent contractions of the smooth muscle of the intestinal wall, and is the most common condition among acute abdominal pain in children. For infants, the presence of intestinal spasm can be assessed by the degree and intensity of crying. In typical cases, the abdominal pain is mainly located around the umbilicus, meaning the site of spasm is in the small intestine. When spasm occurs in the proximal large intestine, the pain is located in the right lower abdomen; when spasm occurs in the distal large intestine, pain occurs in the left lower abdomen; if abdominal pain occurs before defecation, it may be due to spasm of the descending colon or sigmoid colon. In a small number of older children, colicky pain may occur in the flank region, often on one side, due to spasm of the hepatic flexure or splenic flexure of the colon. In younger children, colicky pain may also occur in the subxiphoid abdominal region, due to gastric spasm. Strictly speaking, this is not intestinal spasm but gastric spasm; however, because the underlying mechanism is similar, tuina treatment is also effective. The causes of intestinal spasm may include improper diet (such as excessive intake of raw or cold food, overeating, excessive milk feeding, or high sugar content in food leading to intestinal gas accumulation); climate changes (such as exposure to cold); or stimulation by intestinal parasite toxins. The above triggering factors may cause temporary ischemia of the intestinal wall, or lead to parasympathetic excitation, causing spasm of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle, thereby resulting in abdominal pain. When gastrointestinal smooth muscle spasm occurs, it can block the passage of gastrointestinal contents, potentially causing vomiting. After continuous spasm for a period of time, the gastrointestinal smooth muscle gradually relaxes naturally, at which point the child's abdominal pain disappears, forming the so-called "interval between attacks." If the causative factors are not eliminated, the child may experience abdominal pain again.