Intestinal Colic

It rarely begins slowly. Intestinal colic arrives like a wave — a cramping contraction that squeezes the air out of you, drives you to your knees, forces you to stop everything else. Then it subsides. Then the next wave comes. And the next. Not a uniform pain, the kind you might know from other organs, but a rhythm of attacks — as if your bowel wants to expel something that won't come out. As if it is pressing against an invisible wall.

Medically, the situation is clearly describable: the smooth muscle of the intestine contracts excessively, spasmodically, in intervals. Cramping. Colic can be accompanied by bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, sometimes by nausea. The causes you hear in the doctor's office range from food intolerances to irritable bowel to inflammatory processes. All of that has its validity and deserves investigation.