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Tics, Tourette's and Related Muscle Pain in Children: A Review
1School of Education, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia.
Insights
Tourette Syndrome (TS) causes significant musculoskeletal pain in children due to tics. Recognizing and treating this pain is crucial for improving children's quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics.
- Musculoskeletal pain is a frequent, yet often under-recognized, comorbidity in children with TS.
- Tics can lead to both acute and chronic pain, impacting multiple body areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the association and causation of musculoskeletal pain in children with TS and tic disorders.
- To analyze the prevalence, severity, location, and functional impact of pain in affected children.
- To highlight potential interventions for managing pain in this population.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on childhood TS, tics, and associated musculoskeletal pain.
- Analysis of studies reporting pain presence, severity, location, and functional limitations.
- Evaluation of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment strategies.
Main Results:
- Children with TS frequently experience musculoskeletal pain, often in multiple body regions (e.g., neck, throat, shoulders, eyes, joints).
- This pain can negatively impact a child's quality of life and daily functioning.
- Existing interventions show promise, but further research is needed.
Conclusions:
- Musculoskeletal pain is a common and significant comorbidity in childhood TS and tic disorders.
- Increased recognition and diagnosis of pain are essential for effective management.
- Further research is required to understand pain mechanisms and develop optimal assessment and treatment approaches.
Abstract:
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder depicted by the occurrence of tics and accompanying behavioral problems that commonly appear during childhood. Tics, both motor and vocal, may cause musculoskeletal pain. Both acute and chronic muscle pain have been recognized as a common comorbid aspect of TS-related tic disorders in childhood. The pain most reported in children includes cervical, throat, shoulder, ocular, and joint pain, with most children reporting musculoskeletal pain in more than one part of the body. The impact of muscular pain caused by motor and phonic tics can negatively affect a child's quality of life. This review describes the association and causation of musculoskeletal pain in childhood tics and TS, which are commonly under recognized and diagnosed. An analysis of the presence of musculoskeletal pain, the severity of the pain, the location of the pain and the movement incapacity due to pain in children is reviewed. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions known to improve musculoskeletal pain in children are highlighted with supportive frameworks evaluated. Further research is needed to better understand musculoskeletal pain cause(s) and prevalence along with age-appropriate assessment methods and outcomes measures. Motor- and phonic-related musculoskeletal pain should be recognized as a common comorbid characteristics of TS and tic disorders in childhood. Such recognition may lead to greater therapeutic opportunities for this problematic condition.
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