Abdominal pain can range from a mild, dull ache to severe, stabbing pain. Based on your medical history, diet, activity level, genetics and safety during exercise, you can experience upper abdomen pain for a variety of reasons. The level of treatment you need depends on how severe the pain is and what the cause is.
Causes
If you feel pain when you stretch, you could be stretching too far. You might also have a strained or torn upper abdomen muscle. Stretching a muscle in this case can put unnecessary force on an existing injury. According to MayoClinic.com, upper abdomen pain can result from appendicitis, gallstones, heart attack, a peptic ulcer, pneumonia, pancreatitis, an intestinal obstruction, angina, gastroesophageal reflux disease --- commonly abbreviated GERD --- or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Stretching Safety
Stretching is particularly crucial for those engaged in a fitness program. It improves your flexibility, can help prevent injuries, reduce soreness after a workout and helps to relax your muscles. When you stretch, move slowly into and out of each stretch. Never jerk your limbs or muscles or perform stretches that cause you to performing bouncing movements; this is known as ballistic stretching. During a stretch, you should feel only gentle tension --- and you should not experience pain. If you experience pain, you have stretched too far and could potentially tear a muscle fiber.
Treatment
Mild upper abdomen pain can be treated at home. If your pain is from stretching, discontinue stretching until your muscles recover. If you suspect that you have indigestion, avoid spicy foods and large meals. MayoClinic.com recommends you avoid pain relievers because they can cause stomach irritation and make the pain worse. If your pain is moderate to severe, or is not relieved with rest, you might have a medical problem or a torn muscle that could require prescription drugs or even surgery.
Warning
Although you can treat some upper abdomen pain at home, you should never let home care replace professional medical care. If your pain is associated with an injury, accident or you also have chest pain, call for help immediately. MayoClinic.com urges you to seek immediately medical help if your pain is so intense that you can't sit still, if you need to curl into a ball to alleviate the pain, have bloody stool, vomiting, yellowish skin, soreness when you touch your abdomen, a swollen abdomen or constant nausea. These are all potential symptoms of a severe medical problem.
