My Tummy Hurts! Understanding Functional Abdominal Pain and What To Do About It
Your child has been complaining of stomachaches for months. You've seen
pediatrician, maybe a GI specialist. You've done the blood work, the ultrasound, possibly even an endoscopy. And every time, the results come back the same: nothing is wrong.
But your child is still in pain. She's missing school, avoiding activities she used to love, and you're watching it happen without knowing how to help.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone — and there is a name for what your child is experiencing.
What Are Functional GI Disorders?
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are real, physical conditions characterized by chronic or recurring GI symptoms — stomach pain, nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhea — that occur without any structural, inflammatory, or biochemical abnormality on testing. In other words, the body is not damaged, but it is not working the way it should.
Common FGIDs in children and adolescents include:
Functional abdominal pain — recurrent stomach pain with no identifiable cause
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — pain linked to changes in bowel habits
Functional dyspepsia — upper abdominal discomfort, nausea, or early fullness
Functional nausea — persistent nausea without vomiting or structural cause
These conditions are not rare. Research estimates that functional abdominal pain affects up to 20% of school-age children, making it one of the most common reasons kids miss school and visit doctors.
"Nothing Is Wrong" Doesn't Mean It Isn't Real
One of the most painful parts of this journey for families is hearing that the tests are normal — and feeling like no one believes them. Let's be clear: functional GI symptoms are not made up, not exaggerated, and not a sign of bad parenting. The pain is real. The nausea is real. The impact on your child's daily life is real.
What's happening is that the communication system between the brain and the gut — what researchers call the gut-brain axis — has gotten dysregulated. The nervous system has learned to amplify signals from the digestive tract, sending pain messages even when there is no tissue damage. Over time, the body gets stuck in a cycle that is difficult to break without the right kind of help.
The Role of Anxiety and Avoidance
Anxiety and functional GI disorders are deeply intertwined. This is not because the symptoms are "psychological" — it is because the brain and gut share overlapping neural pathways and respond to the same stress signals. When a child is anxious, the gut feels it. And when the gut hurts, anxiety increases. Each feeds the other.
Avoidance is the piece that keeps the cycle going. When a child avoids school, food, activities, or social situations because of GI symptoms, the nervous system learns that those situations are dangerous — and the symptoms get worse. Well-meaning parents often accommodate these avoidance patterns without realizing it, and that accommodation, while completely understandable, can unintentionally deepen the cycle.
What Actually Helps
The good news is that functional GI disorders in children are very treatable. Evidence-based approaches include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps children identify and shift the thought patterns that amplify symptoms, and gradually return to avoided activities through structured exposure.
Clinical Hypnosis has a strong evidence base specifically for pediatric functional abdominal pain and IBS. It works by calming the gut-brain connection, reducing the nervous system's amplification of pain signals, and giving children a powerful tool they can use on their own.
SPACE Treatment (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a parent-based intervention developed at Yale that helps parents learn how to respond to their child's symptoms in ways that reduce anxiety and avoidance — without dismissing the child's pain. SPACE is particularly effective for families where the child is resistant to treatment or too young for individual therapy
What Parents Can Do Right Now
While you are figuring out next steps, here are a few things that can help:
Validate the pain without reinforcing avoidance. "I know your stomach hurts and I also know you can handle this" is a more helpful message than "stay home until you feel better."
Keep routines as normal as possible. School attendance, regular meals, and physical activity all help regulate the nervous system.
Avoid reassurance-seeking loops. Constantly checking in on symptoms, asking "how does your stomach feel?" or rushing to the nurse keeps attention focused on the pain.
Talk to your child's doctor about a referral to a therapist who specializes in pediatric functional disorders — specifically one who uses CBT, hypnosis, or SPACE.
Learn More: Upcoming Webinar with Lynn Lyons
If you want to go deeper on this topic, I'm excited to share that I'll be co-presenting a live virtual webinar with Lynn Lyons, LICSW — internationally recognized anxiety specialist, author, and co-host of the Flusterclux podcast — this fall.
What to Do When Your Child's Tummy Hurts and No One Can Find Why is a two-hour parent webinar designed to help you understand what's driving your child's symptoms and what you can actually do about it.
Two sessions — attend either one:
Wednesday, September 30, 2025 · 4–7 PM PDT / 7–10 PM EDT
Friday, October 9, 2025 · 9 AM–12 PM PDT / 12–3 PM EDT
$149 · Includes both parents · Virtual via Zoom
Your child's pain is real. The path forward is too.