Modern Perespectives into Chronic Pediatric Pain Management
Pain can be a significant problem for children who have chronic conditions, but is it necessary for them to simply "get used" to it? They may respond to first-line pain relievers like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS (eg. naproxen and ibuprofen) or acetaminophen, but not those who have some form of chronic condition such as juvenile arthritis. New medications like biologic response modifiers may also reduce inflammation and pain for some kids, but there are many who still suffer from pain even with these strong drugs.
So why does the pain continue for some children? There are studies at http://www.chicagosportsspine.com/arthritis.html that have found a connection between pain and inflammation. It was found that pain actually exacerbates inflammation, so that by reducing or removing the pain, the inflammation can be helped too.
Based on other new studies, the effect of pain on boys is different from its effect on girls.The pain that comes with certain conditions such as fibromyalgia is found to be more pronounced in young females than young males until they reach the adolescent stage. Researchers are still trying to look for an explanation to this but they are sure that there is a strong connection between the mind and body for all people regardless of age. Read facts about pain here at http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/pain.aspx.
How we think, feel and become stressed, and all the rest of what's happening to our body during inflammation are all connected to each other. According to functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, we can change our pain systems when we do certain things in and with our minds. Yet another growing field of research delves into the long-term effects of unmanaged pain in children. So far, trends show that kids who have unmanaged or poorly managed pain grow up to be more sensitive to pain as adults.
On the other hand, drug-free pain treatment can also provide good results. A therapist experienced with pediatric patients can be very helpful. Hypnotherapy and biofeedback are two techniques that kids can practice to change pain signals. In biofeedback, the child uses a computer or any other feedback device to learn how to manipulate physiological functions related to stress. Hypnotherapy is an approach in which the explores his imagination as a way to ease his nervous system and thus release pain and stress. By enhancing the circulation of blood around the joints, massage therapy can also help a child manage his pain and stress. Another very helpful technique is cognitive behavior therapy which instructs children how to calm themselves during pain.
Finally, child pain management can also involve the parents themselves. For instance, it's counterproductive to ask keep asking a child if his pain has lessened because this only highlights the pain experience. Parent and child can instead inhale together ten times and very slowly, a trick that modifies the activities of stress hormones and actually reduces pain signals. Applying heat or ice to the painful body part is also effective, as well as keeping the child distracted from the pain by encouraging him to play a board game, watch TV, etc. I recommend you visit this website if you have a loved one suffering from pain.
