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Helping Your Child Deal with Pain

Audrey Ballew, Quinn Evans, and McKenna Helbing

HDFS 5130 Final Presentation

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Goals and Objectives of Presentation

  • Developmental Goal
    • To provide parents with useful techniques that they can utilize to help their child manage pain secondary to illness or injury by talking them through specific language, activities, and coping strategies to use.
  • Objectives
    • Parents will demonstrate understanding of pain management by participating in a therapeutic activity that they can walk through with their children.
    • Parents will show improvements in appropriate language use surrounding pain by using phrases to discuss pain in a way where the child will not be afraid.

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What is Pain?

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  • Pain is:
    • Unpleasant physical sensation
    • Associated with damage or injury
    • May be related to an emotional experience
    • Can be brought on by anticipation

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Types of Pain

  • There are different types of pain based on a child’s medical situation...
    • Acute Pain: less than 3 months
    • Chronic Pain : longer than 3 months
    • Somatic Pain : skin, muscle, connective tissue
    • Visceral Pain: internal organs
    • Bone Pain: bone cancer, fractures
    • Neuropathic Pain: nerves

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Assessing a Child’s Pain

  • Ask child about their pain
    • Use face pain scales or other tools to help a child describe their pain
  • Look for signs that show child is in pain
    • Tiredness or weakness, disengagement, takes medicine when they normally would not
  • Reassess often (helps to determine when/where pain is worse, what helps ease pain, etc)

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Why is Pain Management Important?

  • It helps with the healing process
  • Not managing pain can lead to adverse physical and psychological effects on both a child and their family
    • Feeling pain in areas not associated with beginning pain
      • Headache, fatigue, lack of sleep/restlessness
    • Effects other body systems systems
    • Feeling of helplessness
    • Anxiety and/or depression
    • Dependence on medication

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Pain Management Beyond Medication

  • Why does your child need to have a method of pain management besides medication?
    • Prolonged pain can cause disruption to everyday life, increased fear and anxiety
    • Excessive use of medication can create addiction tendencies
  • When to use medication?
    • To stay ahead of a child’s pain
    • Following a procedure
    • Acute reasons
  • What should you do when your child can’t have more meds or has maxed out on dosage?
    • Alternative methods

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Strategies for Pain Management

(besides medication)

  • Distraction methods:
    • Shifting focus: iPads, coloring books, movies, games, music (sing/dance)
    • Giving child a choice
  • Relaxation:
    • Guided imagery
    • Deep breathing
    • Progressive muscle relaxation
  • Tactile measures:
    • Hot/cold compress
    • Massage
  • Position of comfort:
    • Sit on parent’s lap, hold hands, squeeze teddy bear, etc.
    • Effective pacing: using different muscle groups throughout the day
  • Comfortable environment:
    • Lights: dim or bright lighting
    • Sounds: calming or uplifting music
    • Smells: familiar smells

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Appropriate Language to use Around a Child in Pain

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Hands on Activity

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Guided Imagery

  • Why it is useful?
    • Creates a distraction, helps control breathing, relaxes muscles

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Summary

  • Pain is real
  • Children’s pain should validated and managed in healthy ways.
  • There are many methods to manage pain other than medication.
  • Children’s pain can be taxing on parents and siblings in addition to the child experiencing pain--be aware of the emotional tolls.