Assessment and treatment of pain in children and adolescents

Pain is one of the most common and distressing symptoms experienced by children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pain is known to negatively affect all aspects of health-related quality of life, including physical, emotional, social, and role functioning. The valid and reliable assessment of pain is the first critical step to developing an effective plan for pain management. This chapter will address the following key questions: (1) What is the prevalence and impact of pain in children and adolescents with arthritis? (2) Why is it important for clinicians to assess the multidimensional nature of pain and what are the practical issues that should be considered? (3) What tools are available to help clinicians to assess pain? (4) How can Internet and mobile technologies be used to improve the assessment of pain? (5) What are the recommended strategies for clinically managing pain, including pharmacological, physical, and psychological approaches?