colicky abdominal pain
Last reviewed 01/2018
Colicky pain is described as pain which comes and goes; it is important to note that in true colic there is a baseline of no pain. This distinguishes colic occuring as a result of gastrointestinal obstruction - a true colic - from other misnamed colics such as renal and biliary colic. These latter conditions always have a background presence of pain.
Colicky abdominal pain can be the result of some sort of obstruction to passage in a viscus but is usuallly functional and secondary to irritable bowel syndrome.