May 11, 2005

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Conquering chronic pain in children

Stanford Health Library

Children who suffer from pain that just won't go away are robbed of their childhood. They hurt. They worry too much and are afraid. Chronic pain impacts school attendance and grades, participation in fun activities and relationships with friends and family.

The rest of the family suffers too-- psychologically, socially and emotionally. Parents and children alike feel out of control and helpless. Sometimes a definitive diagnosis is impossible to find, adding to the frustration. Parents feel guilty about not being able to help their child feel better.

Chronic pain in childhood is not a rare occurrence. According to the American Pain Society, one in five children and adolescents in the United States suffer from debilitating pain. The causes of children's pain are many, including headaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and more.

Pain in children is not well understood. Until the late 1980s, it was commonly believed in the medical community that children felt pain differently than adults. It was considered bad medicine to give children strong painkillers, no matter how much they suffered. Today, the medical world recognizes pain in children, but many practitioners are unprepared to treat it effectively. Many children continue to be under treated for their pain.

Parents of children in pain will find hope in a new book, Conquering Your Child's Chronic Pain: A Pediatrician's Guide for Reclaiming a Normal Childhood, by Lonnie K. Zeltzer, M.D., and Christina Blackett Schlank. Dr. Zeltzer, director of the Pediatric Pain Program at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital, asserts, "It is never too late to treat pain in children, no matter how long it has lasted." She believes that children's pain is real and deserves attention.

The book is written to help people understand the complex nature of pain, as well as the approaches to diagnosis and treatment. It first defines pain, then goes on to compare acute versus chronic pain. The biology and psychology of chronic pain are examined. In addition, the various conditions that are associated with chronic pain are discussed, as are the factors that contribute to it.

"Conquering Your Child's Chronic Pain," acknowledges that there is no magic bullet for treating chronic pain, but there are a wide variety of options to consider. Different types of pain and individual people require treatment designed specifically for their unique situation. The book offers information about a wide range of treatment options available to children, from medication to alternative methods such as hypnotherapy, yoga, acupuncture and biofeedback. The benefits of individual and family counseling are also presented. Dr. Zeltzer even provides specific breathing, relaxation and visualization exercises designed to help children cope with chronic pain.

A chapter answers parents' frequently asked questions and a glossary defines pain terminology. Appendices identify pediatric and gastrointestinal pain programs worldwide. One of the programs mentioned is at Louise Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (http://pedsanesthesia.stanford.edu/).

"Conquering Your Child's Chronic Pain" is available for borrowing from the Stanford Health Library. The Health Library also has a number of other materials to help parents help their children with chronic pain. The library's web site (http://healthlibrary.stanford.edu) has links to information on coping with chronic pain and its associated conditions.

For more information or assistance, come into one of the Stanford Health Library branches, at the Stanford Shopping Center near Bloomingdales'; on the third floor of Stanford Hospital or on the main level of Stanford's new Cancer Center; or call (650) 725-8400.

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