We work with patients with a variety of conditions to help them manage their pain.

We use non-medicine pain therapies to help children manage acute or chronic pain and stress. We provide pain management therapy for children who have been diagnosed with conditions such as abdominal pain, headaches, post-surgical pain, complex regional pain syndrome, rheumatoid diseases, musculoskeletal pain, and pain related to cancer or sickle cell disease.

Therapeutic techniques

Our physical and occupational therapists use a variety of non-invasive therapeutic techniques designed to meet your child’s individual needs. These techniques may include:

• Aromatherapy
• Biofeedback, which is an assisted relaxation training technique that teaches the child to monitor and reduce pain
• Electrical stimulation
• Guided imagery
• Heat/cold applications
• Manual therapy
• Therapeutic exercise

We also work with the child and family to develop a home program to manage the child's pain.

Goals of pain management

The goals of pain management therapy are to help children:

• Decrease and manage pain
• Improve functional mobility, which is the ability to move around their environment independently and safely
• Increase participation and activity level in school, leisure and play activities, and recreation and sports
• Improve independence with age-appropriate daily living activities such as self-care, feeding and dressing
• Return to prior level of function
• Improve sleep patterns
• Improve posture
• Improve self esteem
• Improve quality of life

In addition to the outpatient services provided in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Child Development and Rehabilitation Center and our Outpatient Care locations, we also work with the physicians in the pain management clinic to provide inpatient services as needed.