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Johns Hopkins Children's Center

Pain Rehabilitation Program

Our interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Clinic offers expertise in the management of both acute and chronic pain. New patients are evaluated and then may be referred for outpatient treatment, day hospital treatment or inpatient treatment.

Acute Pain

The Pain Rehabilitation Program, a consultative service requested by the patient’s primary team to assist in managing pain while the child is in the hospital, provides treatment for all aspects of acute pain in newborns, infants, children and adolescents. The majority of acute pain patients are recovering from surgery or trauma. The Pain Rehabilitation Program also provides care for children with pain from cancer, chemotherapy and a variety of medical diseases.

Therapies provided by the Pain Rehabilitation Program include patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and nurse- or parent-controlled analgesia for young children and for physically or cognitively impaired children. Regional analgesia includes epidural infusions, epidural PCA and peripheral nerve infusions. We provide recommendations for intermittent opioid therapy and for opioid/sedative weaning after complex surgery and prolonged hospitalizations.

The Pain Rehabilitation Program is staffed by a team of pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric nurse practitioners. The consultant anesthesiologist evaluates each child before instituting an individual treatment plan in close consultation with the patient’s primary care team. The pain management team is available 24/7. 

Director: Dr. Irfan Suleman

Pediatric anesthesiologists:   

Pediatric nurse practitioners:

  • Sharon Rothman, R.N., C.R.N.P.
  • Kelly Vasquenza, R.N., C.R.N.P.

Phone: 410-955-2393

Chronic Pain

Children who are experiencing chronic or recurrent acute pain may be referred to:

The Johns Hopkins Blaustein Pain Treatment Center: 410-955-PAIN

Drs. Suleman and Wang will evaluate the child and provide care. Interventional therapy, such as neural blockade, spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal therapy, may be provided in close association with adult pain management specialists in the center.

The Kennedy Krieger Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Program: 443-923-9440

Drs. Suleman and Wang will assess the child and provide treatment in this interdisciplinary outpatient clinic. All patients are evaluated by a physical therapist and by a psychologist who specializes in pain management through behavioral medicine.