Functional Abdominal Pain and Related Syndromes

Functional gastrointestinal disorders are very common. They result from dysfunctional interaction in the brain-gut axis. Although the nature is benign, symptoms may be debilitating. The etiology is multifactorial; therefore, the diagnosis should be approached in a biopsychosocial model. There are no biomarkers to characterize these conditions, but a solid understanding of the pathophysiology allows providers to present these disorders as a positive clinical diagnosis rather than a diagnosis of exclusion. Effective management entails close collaboration between the medical and mental health providers.