What are abdominal cramps?

Abdominal cramps are tight and sore feelings in your tummy that can feel like it's doing the twisty dance.

Imagine your stomach is like a big bag of jelly, and inside that bag there are little squishy parts called organs, like your intestines or your bladder. When something goes on, like food moving through your body too fast, or when your body needs to do a job like going to the bathroom, those organs can start to squeeze really hard. That squeezing is what makes you feel cramps.

Think of your stomach as a balloon that's been filled with air and juice. When something happens, like you're running around or eating too much candy, the balloon can get squeezed from all sides, and poof! You feel that tight, sore feeling in your tummy.

Sometimes, when your body is trying to do a job, like emptying out your bladder or your bowels, it sends signals to those organs to work harder. That extra effort can make the squeezing even stronger, making cramps feel like they're doing a really big dance inside you!