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Children with unexplained chronic pain: substantial impairment in everyday life

A Y Konijnenberg1, C S P M Uiterwaal, J L L Kimpen

  • 1Dept of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|May 19, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Children with unexplained chronic pain (UCP) experience significant daily life impairments, affecting sports, school, social activities, and sleep. Girls reported more somatic symptoms than boys.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pain Management
  • Child Psychology
  • Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

  • Unexplained chronic pain (UCP) in children presents a diagnostic challenge.
  • Assessing the functional impact of UCP on pediatric patients is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the extent of impairment in children with UCP.
  • To identify factors associated with significant impairment in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 149 children with chronic pain (>3 months) and no clear diagnosis was studied.
  • Evaluations included somatic complaints (Children's Somatisation Inventory), pain intensity (VAS), functional disability (Child Health Questionnaire-CF), and general health perceptions (CHQ).

Main Results:

  • Substantial impairment was observed across multiple domains: 72% in sports, 51% in school attendance, 40% in social functioning, and 34% in sleep.
  • Girls reported more somatic symptoms than boys (10.7 vs. 8.4).
  • Independent predictors of impairment included low general health perceptions, impaired role/social functioning, high pain intensity, and specific pain types (headache, musculoskeletal).

Conclusions:

  • Children referred for UCP exhibit significant, multi-domain impairments in their daily lives.
  • Early identification and intervention are necessary to address the functional consequences of UCP in children.
Abstract

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