Pediatric pain management is designed to help control acute and chronic pain in children and young adults.
Understanding Pediatric Pain – Acute vs Chronic Pain
Acute pain generally occurs suddenly in response to an injury, illness, surgery, or trauma (for example, the immediate pain after rolling an ankle). The purpose of acute pain is to signal the body that there is a threat and the pain should resolve once the underlying cause has been treated or healed. Acute pain may last for several weeks but should dissipate by 6 months. Chronic pain often persists longer than the general healing process and can last for months or longer. Chronic pain is likely the result of changes in the brain or nervous system. This change may have been triggered by an initial trauma/injury or illness in which pain did not resolve following healing. In some individuals following injury, the nervous system remains extra sensitive resulting in a greater sensation of pain despite minimal stimuli. However, it is important to note that there does not have to be an underlying injury to experience pain, as 1 in 4 people experience pain without injury. Stress and emotional overload can also result in pain so it is important to take a holistic approach and consider mental health services in addition to physical therapy. Both acute and chronic pain can be treated through movement-based therapy including stretching, strengthening, and patient and family education.
What Can You Expect From Physical Therapy for Pediatric Pain?
Following a referral from your child’s primary care provider or specialist, the first thing a pediatric physical therapist will do is complete a comprehensive evaluation. During this evaluation, the pediatric physical therapist will discuss areas that require treatment and goals that will be addressed, as well as a plan going forward (including how many times they would like to see your child, etc). They will also likely provide you with some strategies and exercises to use at home so that progress can be made between physical therapy visits.
During each physical therapy visit, you can expect the pediatric physical therapist to perform multiple therapeutic techniques depending on the child and root cause of pain including stretches, strengthening, pain neuroscience, and other activities that can be modified as needed. Patient and parent education will be ongoing to encourage home carry over between visits. The goal is to help children reach their full potential and improve their quality of life through individualized interventions.
Is Pediatric Physical Therapy Right for Your Child in Pain?
If your child is experiencing pain, first see your doctor and rule out trauma or illness. If pain persists past the point of healing, pediatric physical therapy may be right for you.
The Benefits of Physical Therapy for Pediatric Pain Management
Physical therapy is beneficial in pain management for children and young adults as chronic pain may be multifactorial. Physical therapy interventions will be individualized based on the child’s evaluation and will take a holistic approach with addressing other contributing factors, such as stress management, emotional overload, and potential lifestyle modifications.
Stress chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol, when released in excess, have negative effects on the body. Children may experience mood swings, sleeping problems, fatigue, sore and sensitive tissues, and memory changes. Children who experience unexplained pain may experience additional stress resulting in increased pain, resulting in a vicious cycle. Pediatric physical therapists will utilize pain neuroscience education, which focuses on patient education related to neurobiology and neurophysiology of pain and how the body processes pain and noxious stimuli. In addition to pain neuroscience education, physical therapy will focus on stretching, strengthening, stability, manual therapy techniques, and muscle flexibility in order to reduce pain and tissue sensitivity and increase movement, confidence, and ability to participate in daily activities.
Treatment Techniques in Physical Therapy for Pain Management
Our therapists utilize a variety of techniques including manual therapy, pain neuroscience education and movement-based therapies. The combination of movement with pain education is considered the best evidence-based practice for people with chronic pain. Pain neuroscience education focuses on teaching children more about their pain and how it works. Therapists work with these children to learn coping skills to reduce pain through decreasing stress and performing activities with increasingly less pain in order to improve function.
Treatment for the pediatric population focuses on improving function to allow kids to better participate in school, social activities, sports and other age appropriate activities.
Choosing the Right Pediatric Physical Therapy Program
When looking for a location for your child to attend physical therapy, there are a number of factors to consider and questions to ask to ensure you feel comfortable with the care your child will receive. These factors include ensuring that you are seeing a physical therapist with training in pediatrics, making sure that the physical therapist has availability to see your child quickly and as frequently as recommended, and the therapy approach is aligned with your needs. Because early intervention is so important, it is recommended that you not wait a significant amount of time for a physical therapy evaluation.
When thinking about questions to ask your pediatric physical therapist, you may consider the amount of experience the therapist has in the field, how many children they have treated dealing with pain, and how much availability their schedule has.
Conclusion
In summary, acute and chronic pain are conditions that can affect children of all ages. While in physical therapy, a skilled therapist will work with your child to tailor each session according to their individual need utilizing exercises, manual therapy, stretching, and pain neuroscience education. You will receive strategies to use at home to continue this progress outside of the clinic with the ultimate goal of long term pain management and improvement to your child’s functional abilities. The physical therapy team at CI Pediatric Therapy Centers has availability to evaluate your child and initiate treatment. If you are interested in getting your child scheduled with one of our pediatric physical therapy providers, please visit our website for more information or call us at (608) 819-6394 today! The goal is to help children reach their full potential and improve their quality of life through individualized interventions.
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References
Moseley GL. Unraveling the barriers to reconceptualization of the problem in chronic pain: the actual and perceived ability of patients and health professionals to understand the neurophysiology. J Pain. 2003;4(4): 184-189.
Louw A, Puentedura EJ. Therapeutic Neuroscience Education. Vol 1. Minneapolis, MN: OPTP; 2013.
This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice nor does it establish a therapist-patient relationship. The content provided should not be interpreted as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or care.