Treatment Options
Medicine-based options
- Patient-controlled analgesia pump
- This pump gives pain medicines through a line in your child's vein (an intravenous line, or IV). The dose depends on the child's weight and health history.
- When the child needs more pain control, she pushes a button to get a dose of pain medicine. The pump has safety mechanisms to prevent too much pain medicine from being given. Children as young as 4 years old can use this type of pump.
- Epidural device
- This device gives pain medicine into the space around the spinal cord called the epidural space. This device can deliver a steady dose of medicine all the time, or the patient can control it, like the pump described above.
- When the patient controls this form of pain relief, it is called patient-controlled epidural analgesia.
- Peripheral nerve block and wound catheter
- We have several methods to send anesthetic directly into a painful area, such as a surgery site, rather than sending the medicine throughout the body in the veins or into the epidural space.
- One example is called the Pain Buster pump. This is a small pump that slowly delivers pain medicine through a tube (catheter) inserted into the painful area.
- Continuous IV
- For children who cannot use a push-button device because they are too young or too ill, doctors may use an IV line that gives medicine at a set rate. The rate can be increased or decreased by the child's team, based on what the child needs.
Non-medicine options
Here are some of the other methods that the team often uses for children. They can be used with, or in place of, medicines.
- Acupuncture
- A service of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program led by Dr. Anjana Kundu, who is an anesthesiologist trained in pain medicine and acupuncturist. The acupuncture team includes Ms. Kelly Neu, who is a licensed acupuncturist, and Dr. Katie L. Larkin, who is an anesthesiologist and acupuncturist.
- Acupuncture helps with management of pain, provides relaxation and can help with management of some side effects related to various medications.
- Hypnosis
- This technique helps a patient to relax and cope better with stress and pain. The Child Life Service and mental health workers can teach you about this technique.
- Physical therapy
- Licensed physical therapists help children stay mobile and strong in ways that make sense for their current health.
- Psychology
- We have pain psychologists who work with Drs. Kundu and Larkin in the outpatient pain clinic to help children and their families manage and cope with the complex problems of chronic pain.
- Visits from child life specialists
- These team members are trained to help distract children from their pain, help them learn to cope with their pain and increase their sense of power. This can lower their need for pain medicine.
- Visits from volunteers
- Volunteers can spend time doing fun things with your child, like reading or playing games, to distract them and lower their feelings of pain.