Stomach & Abdominal Pain
Functional medicine support tailored to uncover the root cause of complex symptoms.
Consult with our care team to understand next steps and build a personalized plan.
Serving Denver Metro, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs.
About This Condition
Abdominal pain is a common symptom that can arise from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary system, genitourinary tract, vascular structures, abdominal wall, or referred pain from extra-abdominal conditions. It ranges from vague, diffuse discomfort to localized, colicky, or sharp pain and may be acute, recurrent, or chronic. The character, location, timing, associated symptoms, and provoking or relieving factors provide important clues to underlying etiology.
Patients may describe epigastric burning or gnawing pain, periumbilical cramping, lower abdominal discomfort, right upper quadrant biliary-type pain, or diffuse aching with bloating. Associated features can include nausea, vomiting, changes in bowel habits, reflux symptoms, fever, weight loss, urinary symptoms, or gynecologic complaints. In chronic or recurrent presentations, overlapping functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or functional dyspepsia, as well as inflammatory, structural, metabolic, and psychosocial contributors, are often relevant.
Assessment focuses on identifying alarm features or red flags that suggest possible surgical or emergent pathology, while characterizing patterns that are more consistent with functional or chronic inflammatory conditions. Diagnosis typically relies on careful history and physical examination, supported by targeted laboratory tests, imaging, and endoscopy when indicated. Management is guided by the identified cause, with attention to symptom relief, risk-factor modification, and monitoring for evolution of new or concerning features.
Common Symptoms
- •Recurrent or persistent abdominal pain, discomfort, cramping, or pressure
- •Pain localized to the epigastric, periumbilical, lower abdominal, or right upper quadrant regions, with variable radiation
- •Association of pain with meals, certain foods, bowel movements, stress, or positional changes
- •Bloating, abdominal distension, or increased gas
- •Nausea or occasional vomiting accompanying pain episodes
- •Changes in stool frequency or form, including constipation, diarrhea, or alternating patterns
- •Subjective sense of abdominal sensitivity or heightened awareness of normal gut sensations
Conventional Treatment Options
Trigger assessment
Nutrition changes
Gut repair support
Our Functional Medicine Approach
Chronic abdominal pain isn't always "just IBS"
Most patients arrive after a scope or two, possibly an IBS or "functional" label, and a recommendation to manage triggers. The underlying mechanism is rarely a single thing — it's typically some combination of dysbiosis, food sensitivities, SIBO, bile acid or motility issues, post-infectious gut changes, visceral hypersensitivity, or pelvic floor / abdominal wall dysfunction. Each calls for a different treatment lane.
How Spire works the root cause
Patients typically start with our Viome Gut Intelligence pathway to map microbiome activity, plus stool and SIBO testing where indicated. We layer in food sensitivity work, structured elimination trials, and gut-directed nervous-system retraining when central sensitization is part of the picture — then sequence treatment so progress is measurable instead of guesswork.
Who this is for
Adults with chronic abdominal pain or bloating that hasn't responded to standard care, patients with mixed gut and food-trigger patterns, and anyone tired of being told "it's functional" with no real plan attached.