Pain is complex and there are many ways to treat it. Because your child’s pain may originate from a disease or injury, different experts may be involved in treatment. For example, in the case of a badly broken leg, treatment might involve an orthopaedic surgeon who will fix the broken leg, a doctor who has expertise in pain management, and nurses who will care for your child after the operation. Several other health care professionals may be involved in pain relief efforts.
In some cases, managing your child’s pain may require additional expertise. In some hospitals, a specialized team of pain experts may be called in to help manage pain, depending on the nature of your child’s pain. If the pain is acute, for example following surgery, an acute pain team may provide consultation. Acute pain teams are usually made up of an anaesthesiologist and clinical nurse specialists/nurse practitioners who have expertise in assessing and managing acute pain following surgeries or for children with diseases such as cancer or sickle cell disease.
If the pain is chronic, then a chronic pain team may see your child. Due to the complexity of managing children with ongoing pain, chronic pain teams often consist of an anaesthetist, a clinical nurse specialist/nurse practitioner, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a physiotherapist. If your child has a life-threatening illness or a complex condition, a palliative care team may have the expertise to deal with pain and other symptoms that affect your child’s quality of life.
Working in close consultation with parents and other members of your child’s health care team, these specialized teams will attempt to find the best way to relieve pain and treat the underlying cause or causes.
Members of the health care team that may be involved in helping to assess and manage pain in the hospital or at home could include:
Anaesthesiologist
Sometimes called anaesthetists, these are doctors who provide anaesthesia or sedation for patients undergoing surgery. Anaesthesiologists also provide pain relief for patients following surgery, or as part of specialized acute or chronic pain teams.
Child life specialist
A health professional who provides therapeutic play interventions and opportunities for children to build supportive relationships, express themselves, gain mastery, and learn about the hospital environment. Child life specialists work to minimize the negative impact of illness and hospitalization for children and their families.
Clinical psychologist
A psychologist who diagnoses, counsels, and treats individuals, families, or groups. A clinical psychologist helps children deal with pain, stress, behavioural or emotional difficulties, and achieve positive changes in behaviour, lifestyle, or relationships.
Dietitian
An expert in diet and nutrition who offers nutritional counseling and plans therapeutic diets for patients with medical conditions.
Endocrinologist
A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases involving glands that produce hormones. These are chemicals that send signals to different parts of the body to manage functions. An example of an endocrine disease is diabetes.
Interlink nurse
Sometimes called a Community Nurse, an Interlink nurse specializes in providing support for children with a serious disease and their families throughout and after the treatment process. The interlink nurse assesses family needs, links the family to community services, and acts as a liaison with hospital care providers, community health professionals, and the child’s school.
Neurologist
A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Such disorders include epilepsy, developmental delays, and severe language or learning disabilities.
Neuroradiologist
A doctor who specializes in analyzing images of diseases of the brain and spine. A neuroradiologist uses imaging tools such as computerized tomography ( CT), magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI), myelography, and angiography. Neuroradiology is a subspecialty of diagnostic radiology.
Neurosurgeon
A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating injuries or diseases of the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. A neurosurgeon may provide surgical or non-surgical care for disorders such as head injuries, brain aneurysms, chronic low back pain, and brain and spinal tumours.
Nurse
A health professional who is often the primary caregiver, acting as a manager of the patient’s complete health care needs.
Clinical nurse specialist/nurse practitioner
A nurse who possesses advanced knowledge in a specialized area or population. The clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner can help with diagnosis, prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and perform advanced practice procedures. They coordinate care and communicate with parents.
Occupational therapist
A health professional trained to assess and treat any problems your child may have that may affect his ability to do everyday tasks. These include eating, bathing, playing, swallowing, and school skills such as handwriting, attention, memory, and organization.
Pharmacist
A health professional who prepares, distributes, and stores medications, ensuring safety, accuracy, and quality.
Physiotherapist (PT)
A health professional who assesses and treats movement problems caused by disease or injury. In the early stages of recovery, the PT may help your child keep joints and muscles moving and help with activities such as sitting, standing, walking, and climbing stairs. At later stages, the PT will help your child become as active as possible.
Social worker
A health professional trained to help individuals and families deal with lifestyle changes, problems, and relationships. A social worker offers counseling to patients to identify concerns, consider solutions, and find services that can help them.
It is important to remember that you and your child are key members of the pain management team. Working together as a team, the goal is maximum pain relief using a holistic but individual approach to your child’s pain.