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Procedural pain management for children receiving physiotherapy
Carl L von Baeyer1, Susan M Tupper
1Susan M. Tupper, BScPT: PhD Candidate in Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Insights
Physiotherapists need to better manage procedural pain in children during treatments like stretching. Recognizing and addressing this pain is crucial to prevent future fear and avoidance of medical care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physiotherapy
- Pain management in children
- Procedural pain
Background:
- Physiotherapy procedures can cause pain and distress in children.
- Existing literature on procedural pain management is less developed in physiotherapy compared to other medical fields.
- Procedural pain in pediatric patients can lead to long-term negative health behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on preventing and relieving pain and distress during pediatric physiotherapy.
- To provide guidance for physiotherapists on managing procedural pain in children.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on pain and distress during physiotherapy procedures.
- Analysis of pain management strategies in pediatric care.
- Development of guidance for physiotherapists.
Main Results:
- Physiotherapists excel at managing pain as a symptom but need improvement in addressing pain caused by procedures.
- Other healthcare disciplines have more extensive literature on managing procedural pain.
- Children's procedural pain can cause significant fear and avoidance of future medical interventions.
Conclusions:
- Physiotherapists must recognize procedural pain and fear in pediatric patients through various cues.
- Multiple methods exist for physiotherapists to prevent or alleviate procedural pain and fear.
- An integrated plan for managing distress from painful procedures is presented.
Purpose:
This article provides an overview of literature relevant to the prevention and relief of pain and distress during physiotherapy procedures, with guidance for physiotherapists treating children.
Summary Of Key Points:
Physiotherapists are generally well trained in assessing and managing pain as a symptom of injury or disease, but there is a need to improve the identification and management of pain produced by physiotherapy procedures such as stretching and splinting. In contrast to physiotherapy, other health care disciplines, such as dentistry, nursing, paediatrics, emergency medicine, and paediatric psychology, produce extensive literature on painful procedures. Procedural pain in children is particularly important because it can lead to later fear and avoidance of necessary medical care.
Recommendations:
We emphasize the need for physiotherapists to recognize procedural pain and fear in the course of treatment using verbal, nonverbal, and contextual cues. We present many methods that physiotherapists can use to prevent or relieve procedural pain and fear in paediatric patients and provide an example of a simple, integrated plan for prevention and relief of distress induced by painful procedures.
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