Pediatric Pain Management

When your child is in pain, you want them to feel better. University Children’s Health can help. Our pediatricians, pediatric specialists and pediatric consultants treat toddlers through teenagers while educating and supporting your whole family. We can give your loved one the happier, more pain-free childhood they deserve.

Symptoms & Conditions We Manage

Let our caring team help your child feel better after a chronic (long-lasting) or acute (sudden) condition, such as:

• Back and neck pain
• Cancer pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches and migraines
• Joint pain, including juvenile arthritis
• Nerve pain
• Post-surgical pain
• Sickle cell disease
• Traumatic injury

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Expect robust, specialized care if your child has complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). This arm or leg pain often begins within two weeks of an injury or surgery. Your child may feel “pins and needles,” a burning or cold sensation or high sensitivity.

With an early diagnosis and treatment, University Children’s Health can reduce pain and keep your child’s arm or leg working as well as possible.

Care Team Members

When your child complains of pain, make an appointment with his or her pediatric primary care doctor. Your pediatrician knows your child well and can make informed recommendations for care. If necessary, you may receive a referral to a specialist, such as:

• Pain management physician
• Orthopedist
• Neurologist
• Trauma surgeon

First Appointment & Evaluation

During your first appointment for pain management, your care team will learn as much as possible about your child’s health. A health care professional may:

• Give you a questionnaire about your child’s symptoms, behavior and mood
• Talk to your child in an age-appropriate way
• Watch your child do certain movements or activities
• Perform a physical and neurological exam
• Order imaging scans or other tests to learn more

Pediatric Pain Management Options

Based on the evaluation results, your care team will recommend a well-rounded, personalized plan to help your child feel better in body and mind. Treatment options include:

• Physical therapy – Helps your child get moving in safe, fun ways to reduce discomfort
• Cognitive or behavioral therapy – Teaches families and children how to cope with pain
• Integrative medicine – Includes yoga, acupuncture, aromatherapy and other services to help your child feel calmer and more comfortable  
• Medication management, including:
  
  • Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump that your child uses to receive medication through an IV
  • Oral medications
• Interventions including:
  
  • Epidural catheter placement, a thin tube placed under your child’s skin to allow delivery of an anesthetic to nerves in the spine
  • Nerve block injections
  • Trigger point injections
  • Nerve ablations for cancer pain
  • Continuous nerve block catheters

Ways to Help Your Child Feel Better at Home

Ask your pediatrician how you can make your child more comfortable with swaddling, distraction and devices that provide gentle, soothing vibration.

Your positive attitude makes a difference, too. Try to stay upbeat and let your child know that improvement takes time. Your encouragement will help your child feel more hopeful.