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Pain syndromes in children
1Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Rheumatology CH-73, 4800 Sand Point Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. dsherry@u.washington.edu
Insights
Pediatric rheumatologists manage diverse causes of childhood musculoskeletal pain, including arthritis and amplified pain syndromes. Differentiating physical from psychological causes remains a challenge despite recent literature advancements.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Musculoskeletal Pain in Children
Background:
- Children present with a wide spectrum of musculoskeletal pain causes.
- Conditions range from arthritis and hypermobility to amplified pain syndromes like fibromyalgia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent literature on pediatric musculoskeletal pain.
- To highlight challenges in differentiating physical and psychological pain origins.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on pediatric musculoskeletal pain.
- Analysis of conditions affecting children and adolescents.
Main Results:
- Progress is being made in understanding pediatric pain conditions.
- Distinguishing between somatic (physical) and psychic (mental) pain remains difficult.
- Children's pain presentations differ significantly from adults'.
Conclusions:
- Vigilance in history taking, physical examination, and investigations aids diagnosis.
- Appreciating the varied presentations of each condition is crucial for effective management.
Abstract:
The pediatric rheumatologist cares for children who may have a wide variety of causes of musculoskeletal pain. These include such diverse conditions as arthritis, low-back pain, hypermobility, metabolic bone pain, and amplified pain syndromes such as complex regional pain syndrome and fibromyalgia. This review examines the recent literature on these and other conditions causing musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents. Overall, headway is being made, but differentiating soma from psyche remains a problem. This is perhaps due to the marked and unique effect pain brings to each of us. Children are different from adults in causes, presentations, and outcome. Vigilance in history, physical examination, and judicious use of laboratory investigations are usually sufficient in establishing a diagnosis, as well as an appreciation for the variety of presentations each condition can manifest.
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