Q I'm a 40s office worker, and sometimes I get a sudden wringing pain in my upper abdomen. Why on earth do stomach cramps happen?
A A stomach cramp is when the stomach muscles contract abnormally hard, causing severe, wringing pain in the upper abdomen. Stress, spicy or irritating foods, and overeating are the main triggers.
Detailed Answer
A stomach cramp is acute pain caused by the sudden, excessive contraction of the smooth muscle surrounding the stomach. Stress such as overwork or tension, cold and irritating foods, and overeating large amounts at once disrupt stomach movement and trigger cramps. The pain may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, and belching.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, stomach cramps fall under the category of epigastric pain (wiwantong). They are understood as qi becoming knotted due to sudden emotional changes (liver-stomach disharmony), or the stomach's function becoming blocked by cold food or overeating (food stagnation). At Dongjedang, rather than merely suppressing the pain, we also address the root by helping the stomach move smoothly again.
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