The Simple Treatment for Kids' Chronic Stomach Pain

Over the past few years, I’ve seen more and more kids whose lives are taken over by gastrointestinal symptoms. At first, I thought this surge might be related to COVID and all the stress that came with it. But over time, a pattern became clear.

The problem often isn’t in the gut itself—and the brain isn’t “broken” either. The issue is the communication between the two.

These conditions are now called Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction. They’re not imaginary, and they’re not “all in a child’s head.” They’re nervous system conditions, rooted in how the brain and gut talk to each other through pathways like the vagus nerve. When that signaling system becomes overactive, normal sensations—digestion, fullness, movement—can register as pain.

This helps explain something many parents notice: stress makes symptoms worse. A school day, a test, a social situation—those stress signals travel straight to the gut. Over time, the gut can become so sensitive that it reacts even when there’s no obvious stressor. The pain is real. 

When families don’t have answers, food often becomes the first suspect. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Probiotics. Microbiome testing. I understand why—changing food feels like something you can control. But in my experience, these approaches rarely fix the problem, and they often make life more complicated.

That doesn’t mean doctors skip a medical evaluation. Disorders of gut–brain interaction are a diagnosis of exclusion. We rule out inflammation, infection, celiac disease, and other gastrointestinal conditions first. When labs, stool studies, and growth are reassuring—and symptoms fluctuate with stress or routine—that points away from food and toward the nervous system.

The good news is that once we understand the problem, treatment becomes clearer.

How to Treat?

One of the most effective treatments for these conditions—especially in kids—is clinical hypnosis. Not stage hypnosis. Not mind control. This is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps retrain how the brain and gut communicate. Kids are particularly receptive because their brains are flexible and imaginative. I’ve seen it help children with chronic stomach pain, fear of eating after choking or vomiting, and even school-related anxiety.

These conditions are frustrating, but they are also highly treatable. Families don’t need more tests, more restrictions, or more blame. They need a framework that makes sense—and tools that actually help.

You can hear details about treatment and how to find a GI psychologist in the full episode. Scroll for the podcast episode link!