How to Handle Your Child’s Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can affect anyone, including young children. Watching your son or daughter endure physical pain every day is upsetting and overwhelming. You would do anything to make them feel better but don’t know where to start. Sometimes, doctors don’t have all the answers, and what works for one child might not work for another.

Finding the right solution can be time-consuming and costly. However, it’s critical that you advocate for your child so they can get some relief from the pain they’ve been forced to endure.

Whether the pain stems from a traumatic injury or underlying medical problem, the right healthcare team can provide a proper diagnosis and determine the treatment plan that can manage your child’s symptoms and prevent their condition from progressing.

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain occurs when a child experiences worsening or prolonged pain in any part of their body. Pain is a sensation that typically begins when there’s physical trauma, such as a broken bone. However, once the injury heals, the pain should go away. Unfortunately, chronic pain can continue for many reasons, even after the body is healed.

Many children describe the pain they feel as a stinging, stabbing, shooting, or burning sensation. It can come and go randomly or remain constant with moments of increased intensity.

Chronic pain can develop from changes to the brain and central nervous system. The severity of the pain can range from mild to disabling. Some kids can’t return to school or participate in sports. Others find it difficult to complete routine tasks, such as walking up the stairs or bathing. Chronic pain can also lead to behavioral and mood problems, such as depression and anxiety.

Unfortunately, it can be a challenge to treat chronic pain in young children. That’s because the nerves don’t function normally any longer, so the affected area might send pain signals to the brain even during non-painful events. For example, the affected child might feel pain from showering or when a piece of clothing rubs against their body.

Treating Chronic Pain in Children

Determining the proper treatment for your child will depend on various factors. Each person is unique and will require a different medical approach.

The most common chronic pain treatments are

• Medication
• Integrated physical therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral techniques
• Acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Occupational therapy
• Interventional procedures, such as injections or nerve blocks

It’s crucial that you bring your child in for an evaluation immediately after you’ve determined their pain is chronic. Sometimes, finding the right solution is about trial and error. They might need to undergo various forms of treatment before you find the one that works for them.

Contact Us

Jersey Premier Pain provides comprehensive services to our patients for the management and relief of pain. We offer various therapies and other solutions, so you don’t have to see multiple doctors to treat your condition. We can provide the care you need at one location.

If you or your child needs treatment for chronic pain, do not hesitate to contact us for an appointment. Our team can answer your questions and begin a treatment plan to get you on the road to recovery. Call us now at 201-386-8800.