The effectiveness of complementary therapies on the pain experience of hospitalized children
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Objective Nociceptive Assessment in Ventilated ICU Patients: A Feasibility Study Using Pupillometry and the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex
Published on: July 4, 2018
1Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
Insights
Hospitalized children often experience unrelieved pain despite guidelines. Complementary therapies, like art and relaxation, may help manage pediatric pain, but more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pain Management
- Complementary Therapies
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Pain is a complex issue for hospitalized children, frequently linked to their hospital experience.
- Current pain management strategies, relying heavily on analgesics, are often insufficient for hospitalized children.
- Holistic approaches are needed, suggesting a role for complementary therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on the use and effectiveness of complementary therapies for pain management in hospitalized children.
- To evaluate the impact of various complementary interventions on the pediatric pain experience.
Main Methods:
- A literature review was conducted, including thirteen recent research articles.
- Studies focused on complementary therapies such as relaxation, distraction, hypnosis, art therapies, and imagery.
- The review synthesized evidence on the effectiveness of these therapies in hospital settings.
Main Results:
- The evidence regarding the effectiveness of complementary therapies for pediatric pain is mixed.
- Various complementary approaches show potential but require further validation.
- The review identified a range of interventions used in clinical practice.
Conclusions:
- Complementary therapies may play a significant role in the holistic management of pain in hospitalized children.
- Further rigorous research is necessary to establish definitive evidence for their efficacy.
- Optimizing pediatric pain management likely involves integrating complementary approaches with conventional analgesics.
Abstract:
Pain is a complex phenomenon for children, and the concepts of hospitalization and pain are often linked in the minds of children. Despite best-practice guidelines and standards related to pain management, many hospitalized children continue to have unrelieved pain. This suggests that analgesics alone do not sufficiently relieve their discomfort. Complementary therapies may have an important role in holistic pediatric pain management. This review of literature evaluates available evidence related to the use and effectiveness of complementary therapies on the pain experience of children in hospital settings. Thirteen recent research articles relative to this topic were located and included in this review. A variety of complementary therapies, including relaxation, distraction, hypnosis, art therapies, and imagery, are included. Results of the research are mixed, and further investigation is required.