Skip to main content

The Basics of Treating Pain Disorders in Children and Adolescents

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 579 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter presents the essential basics necessary for providing effective treatment of pain disorders in children and adolescents. These basics are independent of the therapeutic setting, or the therapists’ medical or therapeutic backgrounds. The reader will get to know the “Three Thought Traps” favouring the development of pain disorders. We then discuss the necessity of active pain coping, and of integrating the family into the treatment. We present important aspects of pharmacological treatment and medical background information on the most important biological determinants of chronic headache, abdominal pain, and back pain in childhood and adolescence. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic attitude and the functionality of pain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anttila P (2006) Tension-type headache in childhood and adolescence. Lancet Neurol 5(3):268–274

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Apley J (1958) A common denominator in the recurrent pains of childhood. Proc R Soc Med 51(12):1023–1024

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Asmundson GJ, Noel M, Petter M, Parkerson HA (2012) Pediatric fear-avoidance model of chronic pain: foundation, application and future directions. Pain Res Manag 17(6):397–405

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Balagué F, Nordin M, Dutoit G, Waldburger M (1996) Primary prevention, education, and low back pain among school children. Bull Hosp Jt Dis 55(3):130–134

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bigal ME, Lipton RB, Winner P, Reed ML, Diamond S, Stewart WF, AMPP Advisory Group (2007) Migraine in adolescents: association with socioeconomic status and family history. Neurology 69(1):16–25

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouzios I, Chouliaras G, Chrousos GP, Roma E, Gemou-Engesaeth V (2017) Functional gastrointestinal disorders in Greek Children based on ROME III criteria: identifying the child at risk. Neurogastroenterol Motil 29(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.12951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bufler P, Gross M, Uhlig HH (2011) Recurrent abdominal pain in childhood. Dtsch Arztebl Int 108(17):295–304

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Carragee EJ, Alamin TF, Miller JL, Carragee JM (2005) Discographic, MRI and psychosocial determinants of low back pain disability and remission: a prospective study in subjects with benign persistent back pain. Spine J 5(1):24–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carson L, Lewis D, Tsou M, McGuire E, Surran B, Miller C et al (2011) Abdominal migraine: an under-diagnosed cause of recurrent abdominal pain in children. Headache 51(5):707–712

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Claar RL, Simons LE, Logan DE (2008) Parental response to children’s pain: the moderating impact of children’s emotional distress on symptoms and disability. Pain 138(1):172–179

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Devanarayana NM, Mettananda S, Liyanarachchi C, Nanayakkara N, Mendis N, Perera N et al (2011) Abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal diseases in children and adolescents: prevalence, symptomatology, and association with emotional stress. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 53(6):659–665

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deyo RA, Rainville J, Kent DL (1992) What can the history and physical examination tell us about low back pain. JAMA 268(6):760–765

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dobe M, Zernikow B (2014) How to stop chronic pain in children: a practical guide, eBook. Carl-Auer, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobe M, Hechler T, Behlert J, Kosfelder J, Zernikow B (2011) [Pain therapy with children and adolescents severely disabled due to chronic pain: long-term outcome after inpatient pain therapy]. Schmerz 25(4):411–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccleston C, Crombez G, Scotford A, Clinch J, Connell H (2004) Adolescent chronic pain: patterns and predictors of emotional distress in adolescents with chronic pain and their parents. Pain 108(3):221–229

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eccleston C, Palermo TM, Williams AC, Lewandowski A, Morley S (2009) Psychological therapies for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2):CD003968

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans S, Shipton EA, Keenan T (2006) The relationship between maternal chronic pain and child adjustment: the role of parenting as a mediator. J Pain 7(4):236–243

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Faure C, Grunder FR (2017) Visceral sensitivity. In: Faure C, Thapar N, Di Lorenzo C (eds) Pediatric neurogastroenterology – gastrointestinal motility and functional disorders in children. Springer, Cham

    Google Scholar 

  • Flor H, Diers M (2007) Limitations of pharmacotherapy: behavioral approaches to chronic pain. Handb Exp Pharmacol (177):415–427

    Google Scholar 

  • Hechler T, Kosfelder J, Vocks S, Mönninger T, Blankenburg M, Dobe M et al (2010) Changes in pain-related coping strategies and their importance for treatment outcome following multimodal inpatient treatment: does sex matter? J Pain 11(5):472–483

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hechler T, Martin A, Blankenburg M, Schroeder S, Kosfelder J, Hölscher L, Denecke H, Zernikow B (2011) Specialized multimodal outpatient treatment for children with chronic pain: treatment pathways and long-term outcome. Eur J Pain 15(9):976–984

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hermann C, Hohmeister J, Zohsel K, Ebinger F, Flor H (2007) The assessment of pain coping and pain-related cognitions in children and adolescents: current methods and further development. J Pain 8(10):802–813

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huertas-Ceballos A, Logan S, Bennett C, Macarthur C (2008) Pharmacological interventions for recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in childhood. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (1):CD003017

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyams JS, Di Lorenzo C, Saps M, Shulman RJ, Staiano A, van Tilburg M (2016) Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders: child/adolescent. Gastroenterology 150:1456–1468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs FM, Gestoso M, Gil del Real MT, López J, Mufraggi N, Méndez JI (2003) Risk factors for non-specific low back pain in schoolchildren and their parents: a population based study. Pain 103(3):259–268

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loggia ML, Mogil JS, Bushnell MC (2008) Empathy hurts: compassion for another increases both sensory and affective components of pain perception. Pain 136(1–2):168–176

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Merlijn VP, Hunfeld JA, van der Wouden JC, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AA, Koes BW, Passchier J (2003) Psychosocial factors associated with chronic pain in adolescents. Pain 101(1–2):33–43

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minuchin S, Baker L, Rosman BL, Liebman R, Milman L, Todd TC (1975) A conceptual model of psychosomatic illness in children. Family organization and family therapy. Arch Gen Psychiatry 32(8):1031–1038

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammed I, Cherkas LF, Riley SA, Spector TD, Trudgill NJ (2005) Genetic influences in irritable bowel syndrome: a twin study. Am J Gastroenterol 100(6):1340–1344

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ochs M, Benedikt G, Franck G, Seemann H, Verres R, Schweitzer J (2004) [Primary headache in childhood and adolescence: satisfaction of parents with their relationship]. Monatsschr Kinderh 152(5):543–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Perquin CW, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AAJM, Hunfeld JAM et al (2000) Pain in children and adolescents: a common experience. Pain 87(1):51–58

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piazza F, Chiappedi M, Maffioletti E, Galli F, Balottin U (2012) Medication overuse headache in school-aged children: more common than expected? Headache 52(10):1506–1510

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rasquin A, Di Lorenzo C, Forbes D, Guiraldes E, Hyams JS, Staiano A et al (2006) Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders: child/adolescent. Gastroenterology 130(5):1527–1537

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rippel SW, Acra S, Correa H, Vaezi M, Di Lorenzo C, Walker LS (2012) Pediatric patients with dyspepsia have chronic symptoms, anxiety, and lower quality of life as adolescents and adults. Gastroenterology 142(4):754–761

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sansone RA, Pole M, Dakroub H, Butler M (2006) Childhood trauma, borderline personality symptomatology, and psychophysiological and pain disorders in adulthood. Psychosomatics 47(2):158–162

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scarpato E, Kolacek S, Jojkic-Pavkov D et al (2018) Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in children and adolescents in the Mediterranean region of Europe. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 16(6):870–876

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seng JS, Graham-Bermann SA, Clark MK, McCarthy AM, Ronis DL (2005) Posttraumatic stress disorder and physical comorbidity among female children and adolescents: results from service-use data. Pediatrics 116(6):e767–e776

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tertti MO, Salminen JJ, Paajanen HE, Terho PH, Kormano MJ (1991) Low-back pain and disk degeneration in children: a case-control MR imaging study. Radiology 180(2):503–507

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vlaeyen JW, Linton SJ (2000) Fear-avoidance and its consequences in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a state of the art. Pain 85(3):317–332

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zeeberg P, Olesen J, Jensen R (2009) Medication overuse headache and chronic migraine in a specialized headache centre: field-testing proposed new appendix criteria. Cephalalgia 29(2):214–220

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Dobe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dobe, M., Frosch, M., Zernikow, B. (2019). The Basics of Treating Pain Disorders in Children and Adolescents. In: Dobe, M., Zernikow, B. (eds) Practical Treatment Options for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19201-3_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19201-3_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-19200-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-19201-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics