Colicky Pain

Overview

Colicky pain is described as pain that occurs in waves, non-continuous and comes and goes. Colicky pain occurs usually due to abnormal smooth muscle contractions of hollow structures in the body such as the ureter, intestines, gallbladder and bile ducts. Commonly, colicky pain occurs due to the obstruction in the ureter due to kidney stones, called renal colic. Another type of colicky pain is the biliary colic which occurs due to gallbladder stone that obstructs the bile duct and cystic duct. Colicky pain can range from mild to severe and they are often localized. The pain may persist until the underlying cause is resolved. Some of the symptoms that are associated with colicky pain are nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and urinary symptoms such as painful or bloody urine. Colicky pain can be relieved with painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications and further management depend on the cause of the pain.