Point tenderness - abdomen

Abdominal tenderness

The abdomen is an area of the body a doctor can easily examine by touch. The health care provider can feel growths and organs in the belly area and find where you feel pain.

Abdominal tenderness can be mild to severe. Rebound tenderness occurs when the tissue that lines the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) is irritated, inflamed, or infected. This is called peritonitis.

Causes include:

• Abdominal abscess
• Appendicitis
• Certain types of hernias
• Meckel's diverticulum
• Ovarian torsion (twisted Fallopian tube)

Get emergency medical help right away if you have abdominal point tenderness.

Your health care provider will examine you and gently push on places on your belly. People with peritonitis will often tense the abdominal muscles when the area is touched. This is called guarding.

The provider will note any point tenderness. The location of the tenderness can indicate the problem that is causing it. For example, if you have appendicitis, you will have tenderness when a certain place is touched. This spot is called McBurney's point.

The provider will also ask questions about your symptoms and medical history. These may include:

• When did the symptoms start?
• Is this the first time you have had such discomfort?
• If not, when does the discomfort tend to occur?
• Are you having other symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, fainting, vomiting, or fever?

You may need to have the following tests:

• Abdominal x-ray
• Abdominal CT scan (occasionally)
• Blood work, such as a complete blood count

In some cases, you may need surgery right away. This may involve an exploratory laparotomy or an emergency appendectomy.