Sudden squeezing pain in the solar plexus, 'Gastric Spasm' emergency first aid and the real way to prevent recurrence | Incheon Gastric Spasm

Have you ever experienced a sudden squeezing pain in the solar plexus, or abdominal pain so severe that you could not breathe and broke into a cold sweat?

“Could it be enteritis, or just indigestion?”

It is simply confusing, and in severe cases, it may be accompanied by back pain or headaches.

Most people endure it by taking digestive medicine or painkillers like Tylenol, but if the root cause is not resolved, gastric spasms will continue to recur.

When it's urgent, you may feel lost about which hospital to go to, and since it's nighttime, you may worry about whether you should go to the emergency room.

Hello, I am the one who has worked to resolve the emergency situations and chronic pain of numerous gastric spasm patients for 15 years,Director Choi Yeon-seung of Incheon Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic,.

If you read this post to the end today, you will clearly learn everything from first aid methods to handle sudden stomach cramps without panic, to good foods and ways to recover that can break the tedious cycle of recurrence.

Now, let us properly examine the cause of the sudden pain.

Stomach cramps, why on earth does it feel like 'a cramp in the stomach'?

The easiest way to understand the pain of stomach cramps is to think of it as 'having a cramp in the stomach.' When we suddenly engage in excessive exercise, we get a cramp in our calves, and we feel pain as if the muscles are hardening and twisting.

A stomach cramp is exactly when the same phenomenon occurs in our gastrointestinal muscles.

The gastrointestinal muscles contract abnormally and excessively regardless of one's will, creating severe pain as if the solar plexus is being squeezed.

Then why do these once-peaceful gastrointestinal muscles suddenly start such a rebellion?

The most common cause is that we have made our own stomachs 'overwork'.

• Habit of eating quickly: When food that has not been chewed sufficiently enters the stomach, the stomach must move several times more violently than usual to digest it.
• Overeating: When food exceeding the stomach's capacity enters, the stomach may reach its limit and experience spasms.
• Stimulating foods: Foods that are too spicy, greasy, or cold, as well as alcohol or coffee consumed on an empty stomach, directly stimulate the stomach wall and induce a state of hypertonicity.

In particular, in Korean medicine, 'stress' is viewed as one of the most important causes of stomach cramps. This is because when the balance of the autonomic nervous system is disrupted due to stress, the gastrointestinal muscles are likely to contract abnormally and cause spasms.

Right now! Emergency first aid guide for stomach cramps

Rather than a theoretical explanation, you are likely most curious about how to stop this squeezing pain in the solar plexus right now.

When a sudden stomach cramp occurs, do not panic and calmly follow these 3 first-aid methods in order.

1. Step 1: Curl your body to make the stomach comfortableFirst, loosen your belt and change into comfortable clothes to remove all pressure from the abdomen. Then, lying on your side and pulling your knees toward your chest—the so-called 'fetal position'—helps relax the stiff abdominal muscles.
2. Step 2: Warm and soften with a hot packPlace a warm hot pack or towel between the solar plexus and the navel. The warmth helps blood circulation and has the effect of gently relaxing clenched stomach muscles. (However, care must be taken to ensure it is not too hot.)
3. Step 3: Acupressure to clear blocked energyIn Korean medicine, stomach cramps are also viewed as a 'blockage in the flow of Qi (氣).' You can clear the blocked flow by applying acupressure to the representative acupuncture points below. Please repeat pressing and releasing these areas firmly for 10 seconds until you feel a dull sensation.
   • Hapgok point:the concave area between the thumb and index finger
   • Zusanli point:below the knee, a point about three finger-widths down on the outer side of the shinbone

Most Frequently Asked Questions Q&A

Q. It hurts so much, can I drink at least some water or plum tea?

A. No, when spasms are very severe, it is better to maintain an empty stomach for a while. This is because the act of drinking something may instead stimulate the stomach and induce vomiting. After the spasms have subsided to some extent, it is safe to try drinking lukewarm water or plum tea in very small amounts.

Q. Can I take any medicine I have at home? (Antispasmodics vs Digestives vs Tylenol)

A. Stomach cramps are different from simple indigestion or pain. Therefore, general digestive aids or painkillers like Tylenol may have minimal or no effect. Antispasmodics, which directly relax the excessive contraction of the gastrointestinal muscles, are most appropriate, but medication must be taken only after consulting with a professional such as a doctor or pharmacist.

The emergency measures above are methods to put out an immediate fire.

However, if the fire keeps recurring, the fundamental cause must be resolved, right?

How to safely return to 'daily meals (rice)' after stomach cramps

Once the extreme pain passes, the worry of "Can I eat something now?" begins. Dietary management after a stomach cramp must be approached very cautiously and step-by-step, much like recovery meals after suffering from a major illness.

This is because consuming the wrong foods may re-stimulate the stomach, which has not yet recovered, and cause the stomach cramps to recur.

Step 1: Stabilization Period (Immediately after cramps ~ one day)

The goal during this period is to let the stomach rest as much as possible and regain stability. It is recommended to maintain an empty stomach until the pain has completely subsided, and to drink warm water or barley tea one or two sips at a time to prevent dehydration. After that, when you begin to feel hunger, gently soothe the stomach with thin rice gruel (mieum) or watery white rice porridge that has no irritation at all.

Step 2: Recovery Period (Day 2~3)

Now it is time to gradually restore the function of the stomach. Start meals centered around non-irritating white rice, accompanied by soft steamed eggs, steamed potatoes, or bananas that do not burden digestion. At this time, overeating is strictly forbidden, and it is important to eat small amounts, about half of your usual meal size, divided into several portions.

Step 3: Return Period (Day 4 and onwards)

Once the stomach has become somewhat comfortable, gradually expand the diet. Add healthy foods such as well-cooked vegetables, tofu, or white-fleshed fish one by one and monitor the reaction to see if the stomach accepts them well. However, to prevent recurrence, it is safe to continue avoiding foods that irritate the stomach, such as alcohol, coffee, greasy foods, and flour-based foods, for at least 1~2 weeks.

Frequent stomach cramps, could they be an SOS signal from the entire body?

When you have stomach cramps, have you ever experienced pain not just in your stomach, but also in your back or head?

Many people overlook this, thinking, "It must be because I'm in so much pain," but in fact, an important signal from our body is hidden here.

Our gut and brain are very closely connected by a highway called the 'Gut-Brain Axis.' When an 'event' such as severe cramping occurs in the stomach, the pain signals and inflammatory substances spread quickly to the brain and throughout the body via this highway. This is precisely why the following systemic symptoms may accompany stomach cramps.

• Back pain, back stiffness, muscle pain: The stiff muscles mentioned above cause tension in the surrounding back muscles.
• Headache, dizziness: Pain signals and toxins originating in the intestines directly stimulate the cranial nerves.
• Facial flushing: Due to pain, the autonomic nervous system can be disrupted, causing blood vessels to dilate abnormally.

What is more frustrating is that these 'functional' connection problems do not appear clearly in general examinations such as gastroscopy. This is why people are told it is 'neurogenic'.

Therefore, recurring stomach cramps may not be a problem of the 'stomach' alone, but a signal of a 'systemic problem' linked to the body's nervous and circulatory systems.

Recurring stomach cramps, when it is time to look back at the structural problems of the body

Today, we have learned that sudden stomach cramps are not a problem to be dismissed simply as 'indigestion' or 'nervousness'.

From poor eating habits to stress and pain spreading throughout the entire body, stomach cramps are a strong SOS signal that the functional balance of our body has been broken.

In particular, if stomach cramps continue to recur despite the first aid and lifestyle management we learned about today, this may be an early signal of 'Damjeok-byeong (痰積病)', where the gastrointestinal muscles harden beyond a temporary decline in function.

I will cover these structural problems and the aftereffects left by stomach cramps in more detail soon, if the opportunity arises.

Never take recurring pain for granted. Listen to the SOS signals your body is sending, and effort is needed to go beyond putting out immediate fires and resolve the fundamental causes.

I support your comfortable day.

Reference Materials

[1] Van Oudenhove, L., & Aziz, Q. (2013). The role of visceral hypersensitivity in functional dyspepsia. Gastroenterology & hepatology, 9(6), 362.

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