Table of Contents
- How Hypnotherapy Can Help
- When Tummy Aches In Children Become A Worry
- Why Anxiety And Stress Can Show Up As Tummy Aches
- Checking For Physical Causes First
- How Hypnotherapy Helps Tummy Aches In Children
- What Sessions Are Like For Children And Young People
- Working Alongside Parents And Families
- How Many Sessions Children Usually Need
- Getting Help For Tummy Aches In Children
How Hypnotherapy Can Help
Tummy aches in children are extremely common. Many youngsters complain of stomach pain from time to time, especially around school, parties or new activities. Often these pains pass quickly and your child is soon back to normal. For some families though, tummy aches in children become a regular part of life and it starts to feel as if there is always something wrong with their stomach.
You may have taken your child to the GP, had checks or even seen a specialist, only to be told that everything looks normal. On paper that is reassuring, however it does not always match what you see at home. Your child might still be doubled up with pain on school mornings, missing lessons, worried about eating, or anxious about journeys in case the tummy ache starts again.
On this page we look at tummy aches in children where serious medical problems have been ruled out, and how hypnotherapy can help when pain is linked with stress, anxiety and the way the nervous system has learned to react. You can also visit our children and teenagers hub for an overview of other ways we support young people and their families.
When Tummy Aches In Children Become A Worry
It is normal for children to complain of stomach pain occasionally, especially if they are tired, have eaten too quickly or picked up a minor bug. We tend to be more concerned about tummy aches in children when the pain is frequent, persistent or starts to interfere with daily life. You might notice regular pain on school mornings, during clubs or just before particular lessons, while weekends or holidays seem easier.
Another red flag is when tummy aches in children begin to shape family routines. Perhaps you are often called in to collect your child from school, cancelling plans because of sudden pain, or avoiding journeys, sleepovers and activities in case their tummy starts hurting. These patterns can build up gradually until you realise that life is being organised around the pain rather than around what your child enjoys and needs.
Why Anxiety And Stress Can Show Up As Tummy Aches
The gut and the brain are closely connected. When a child feels worried, overwhelmed or under pressure, their nervous system sends signals through the body that can change how the gut moves and how sensitive it feels. For some youngsters, that shows up as butterflies or a mild flutter. For others, the same process can feel like cramping, nausea or sharp tummy aches that seem out of proportion to what is happening on the surface.
Over time, tummy aches in children can become part of a learned pattern. If your child feels anxious about school or friendships, and their stomach hurts at the same time, the brain can start to link the two. The next time they face a similar situation, their body may automatically produce the same pain, even if nothing dangerous is happening. This does not mean that the pain is imaginary, it means that the gut has become sensitised and the nervous system is reacting as if there is a threat when there is not.
Checking For Physical Causes First
Before we think about hypnotherapy, it is important that persistent tummy aches in children are assessed medically. Your GP will usually ask about weight loss, vomiting, blood in stools, fevers and other warning signs that might suggest a medical condition needing investigation. If any of those are present, they should be explored fully. Hypnotherapy is intended for situations where serious illness has been ruled out, but the pain and disruption are still very real.
Parents sometimes feel dismissed when tests come back clear. You might be told that the problem is functional, or that your child has medically unexplained abdominal pain. That can sound as if nothing is wrong, when in fact what it usually means is that the gut and nervous system have got stuck in an unhelpful pattern. Once the doctor is satisfied that there is no underlying disease, this is precisely the kind of tummy aches in children that respond well to gentle mind body approaches like hypnotherapy.
How Hypnotherapy Helps Tummy Aches In Children
Hypnotherapy gives us a calm and child friendly way to work with the gut brain connection. Rather than simply telling your child that the pain is linked with worry, we help them experience that connection directly in a way that feels safe.
Using stories, imagery and simple explanations about how the nervous system works, we show them how their body can move from a tense, clenched state into something softer and more comfortable.
In sessions we might invite your child to imagine their tummy as a knot that can gradually loosen, or a dial that can be turned down. We help them rehearse coping with typical trigger situations, such as getting ready for school or sitting in class, while their breathing stays steady and their stomach feels more settled.
Over time, the aim is for their nervous system to learn new patterns so that tummy aches in children become less frequent and less intense, even when life is still busy.
Evidence And Research
Recurrent tummy aches in children are common. An NHS leaflet on recurrent abdominal pain notes that around ten to twenty percent of school aged children report frequent stomach pain, and that in most cases there is no serious underlying disease, even when symptoms are distressing. You can read an example of this type of guidance in the information sheet on recurrent abdominal pain from the NHS Vale Of York clinical commissioning group at Recurrent abdominal pain in children.
Paediatric reviews highlight that many children with ongoing tummy aches meet criteria for functional abdominal pain disorders, where the problem lies in the interaction between the gut and the nervous system rather than in structural disease. These articles emphasise a biopsychosocial approach, combining clear medical assessment with support to address stress, coping and the impact on everyday life. You can see an overview of functional abdominal pain in resources such as the summary in Paediatrics & Child Health, which discusses how reassurance alone is often not enough for these youngsters.
There is also specific research on hypnosis and gut directed hypnotherapy for abdominal pain. A randomised controlled trial by Vlieger and colleagues found that hypnotherapy for children with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome led to significant and long lasting improvements in pain and quality of life compared with standard medical care, with benefits still present at follow up several years later, as summarised in an article in Archives Of Disease In Childhood.
Ongoing research programmes, such as the study of video guided hypnotherapy for functional abdominal pain disorders at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, are exploring how accessible hypnotherapy based interventions can support children with chronic tummy aches, which you can read about on the CHOP research pages. At The Surrey Institute Of Clinical Hypnotherapy we draw on these ideas, combining evidence based mind body approaches with practical support for families living with tummy aches in children.
What Sessions Are Like For Children And Young People
At The Surrey Institute Of Clinical Hypnotherapy we work in a relaxed, down to earth way. Initial sessions usually include time with you and your child together so that we can hear both perspectives on tummy aches in children, school and family life. We explain clearly what hypnotherapy involves so that your child knows they will remain in control and can ask for a break at any point.
During the hypnotherapy itself, most children simply feel as if they are listening to a story or guided daydream while sitting comfortably with their eyes closed or gently focused. Teenagers are involved in shaping the work so that it fits their interests, whether that is sport, music, gaming or something else. The focus is always on helping their body feel safer and their tummy more settled in the situations that matter most to them.
Working Alongside Parents And Families
When we treat tummy aches in children, parents are a vital part of the process. You are the ones seeing what happens at breakfast time, on the school run and at bedtime. Part of our role is to help you spot when pain behaviour is being driven by anxiety and to offer practical ways of responding that support change rather than accidentally reinforcing the pattern.
That might include agreeing simple language to use when the pain flares, setting gentle limits around repeated school avoidance, or planning small steps towards activities your child has been missing. We will discuss what feels realistic for your family so that any changes fit the realities of work, siblings and everyday pressures.
Many parents tell us that having a clear map and some shared strategies makes tummy aches in children feel more manageable for everyone.
How Many Sessions Children Usually Need
Every child is different, however younger people often respond more quickly than adults. For tummy aches in children linked with stress or anxiety, it is common to see some shift within three or four sessions, with further appointments used to consolidate changes and build confidence. At your first meeting we will give you a realistic idea of how many sessions we feel are appropriate for your child’s situation.
Our aim is always to help your child and your family develop skills and habits that last beyond our work together. We do not want to keep young people in therapy longer than necessary. Instead, we want tummy aches in children to become less central so that school, friendships and everyday life can move back into the foreground.
Frequently Asked Questions
We usually suggest seeing your GP if tummy aches in children are frequent, severe, waking them at night, or associated with weight loss, vomiting, blood in stools or fevers. Once serious illness has been ruled out, it is still worth seeking help if the pain is affecting school, friendships or family life. Hypnotherapy can be helpful at that stage because it focuses on changing the way the nervous system responds, even when medical tests are clear.
No. When doctors talk about functional abdominal pain or medically unexplained tummy aches in children, they do not mean that the pain is imaginary. They mean that there is no sign of inflammation, infection or structural disease, and that the problem lies in how the gut and nervous system are working together. The pain your child feels is real. Approaches like hypnotherapy aim to change the way those signals are processed so that the tummy becomes less sensitive and day to day life feels easier.
Yes. When carried out by an experienced and appropriately trained therapist, hypnotherapy for tummy aches in children is gentle and non intrusive. Young people remain in control throughout and can talk, ask questions or open their eyes whenever they wish. Much of the work feels like listening to calming stories or using their imagination to help their body relax. We always encourage parents to ask anything they need to so that everyone feels comfortable with the process.
We are always happy for families to keep their GP or paediatrician informed. Hypnotherapy for tummy aches in children is intended to sit alongside good medical care, not replace it. With your permission, we can provide a brief summary of the approach we are taking so that everyone involved has the same picture. If new physical symptoms appear at any point, we will always encourage you to seek medical advice.
Getting Help For Tummy Aches In Children
If you recognise your child in what you have read here, you do not have to manage it alone. Tummy aches in children linked with stress and anxiety are very common, and with the right approach many young people learn to feel safer, calmer and more comfortable again. Early support can prevent pain patterns from becoming more entrenched and can make family life feel less dominated by worry about the next episode.
For a wider view of the issues we treat, you can return to the main problems we help with page, or explore other topics in our children and teenagers hub.
To find out how we can help, you are welcome to contact The Surrey Institute Of Clinical Hypnotherapy for an initial conversation. We can talk through what has been happening, answer any questions you may have about hypnotherapy for tummy aches in children, and suggest a way forward that feels manageable for you and your child.