A skilled clinician can identify the source of abdominal pain based on its severity, presentation and location. Somatic stomach pain is caused by irritation of the parietal peritoneum, a stomach tissue that can become infected or inflamed. An infection or injury which results in somatic stomach pain can often be successfully treated with medication or surgery. Identifying pain as somatic based on a patient's symptoms is instrumental in making a proper diagnosis.
Sharp Pain
According to Merck.com, somatic abdominal pain is sharp and constant or persistent. The indication of sharp versus waves of dull pain are usually an indication of the source of the problem. Roger Sherman points out in his 1990 article, "Abdominal Pain" published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information governmental website, that somatic pain is so severe in some cases, that it overshadows other types of pain and makes accurate diagnosis challenging.
Well-localized Pain
Somatic stomach pains are generally well-localized. This means they are not diffuse, nor do they travel to other parts of the body. Somatic stomach pains are often intensified by putting pressure on the abdominal wall.
Reproducable Pain
Somatic stomach pain can often be reproduced by manipulating the area or tissue around the source of the pain. According to Sherman's article, a useful physical exam procedure to identify somatic abdominal pain is to ask the patient to distend his abdomen alternately by "pushing out" and "sucking in" the belly button area. Sherman suggests this technique is especially helpful when examining children, helping the doctor to locate the pain without having to manually put pressure and cause additional anxiety to a child already in pain.
