In this section
Treatments
Case management
Non-pharmacological (non-medicine) approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidenced based psycho-social intervention that helps to change thoughts, feelings and behaviors related to pain to improve quality of life and functioning.
- Building coping skills
- Addressing anxiety and/or depression that may accompany pain
- Development of a functional restoration plan
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a technique used to help decrease pain. Using sensors, you can prevent and reduce pain by learing to control body functions like breathing and muscle tension.
Stress management, Relaxation, and Mindfulness training
We teach a variety of relaxation techniques to help promote comfort, reduce stress, and improve pain.
School Consultation
We work with families and schools to address how pain impacts a child at school. We provide recommendations for schools to accommodate children with pain in order to maintain academic progress.
Life Style Management
Recommendations will be provided on eating and hydration habits, sleeping habits, and exercise to help in prevention and management of headaches.
Occupational and/or Physical Therapy
Acupuncture
Many children are good candidates for acupuncture. Our acupuncture specialists often recommend therapy for children who:
- Are under stress
- Suffer frequent headaches
- Have muscle or skeletal pain
- Have muscle fatigue or soreness
- Feel tense or stiff
- Have a variety of allergic problems, including sinus drainage
- Have abdominal pain
- Have chronic nausea
- Have dental pain
Please note: If your child has headaches or another painful condition, it is critical that you first seek traditional medical care to make sure your child doesn’t have a serious underlying health condition. Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of medicine. It has gained mainstream and medical acceptance. Based on the Chinese belief that illness results from the interruption of qi ("chee") flowing through channels in the body, practitioners insert tiny acupuncture needles at various points along these channels. These needles help restore or re-balance the flow of qi.
Our specialist
Dr. Lynn Rusy and Dr. Julianne Lee have offered acupuncture at Children’s Hospital for many years. Their patients with chronic pain have experienced great results from acupuncture therapy. Each appointment will range from 30 to 60 minutes. Since many insurance providers will not cover acupuncture, you may have to pay for our services out of pocket.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is the use of electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes. A typical battery-operated TENS unit is able to modulate pulse width, frequency and intensity therapy that uses low-voltage electrical current for pain relief. You do TENS with a small, battery-powered machine about the size of a pocket radio. Usually, you connect four electrodes (wires that conduct electrical current) from the machine to your skin.
Multimodal prescription medication management
- Acetaminophen
- NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)
- Opioid analgesics
- Migraine specific “triptans”
- Antidepressant PAIN preventers
- Antiseizure PAIN preventers
- Blood pressure PAIN preventers
Nerve blocks
Trigger point injections (TPI)
Botox injections
Contact us
To learn how we can help your child manage his or her pain, contact us or call to request an appointment.