Three Ways to Manage Your Child’s Chronic Pain
For kids living with a chronic illness, constant pain can be a daily challenge, both at home and in the hospital.
Viktoria de Jong, Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) and Mission Delivery Coordinator at Starlight, shares three ways to manage pain. Viktoria has expertise in pain management and was part of the Pain Management Committee during her time at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
Three Ways to Manage Pain
1) Physical Approach
To help your child manage and cope with their chronic pain, their CCLS might recommend:
Hot or ice packs
Changing your child’s physical position
Giving a massage
2) Psychological Approach
These could include:
Guided Imagery - A relaxation technique that involves visualizing calming scenes to help reach a calm state. This method uses the power of imagination to evoke positive emotions and a physical response.
Deep breathing exercises
Distraction
3) Pharmacological Approach
Your hospital's clinicians may use pharmacological approaches, including:
Medications
Numbing cream
Cold sprays
Sweet-Ease
Devices like Buzzy - These devises use cold, vibrating sensations to block pain receptors.
Be sure to work with your child’s CCLS, and medical team to determine the best plan and strategies to use to help manage your child’s pain.
That's Why Starlight Exists
When seriously ill kids manage their pain, they feel better and can navigate the challenges of living with a chronic illness more effectively.
“Pediatric pain management is vital because providing effective pain relief improves children's comfort, well-being, and overall quality of life during illness and hospitalization. It also decreases anxiety, enhances cooperation with treatments, and ultimately results in better health outcomes.”
- Viktoria de Jong, Mission Delivery Coordinator, CCLS
Through its programs, Starlight helps CCLS and patients incorporate distraction techniques into treatments and hospital stays, so they can face difficulties with courage and confidence.
Pain Management Through Starlight Programs
Starlight’s programs help kids cope with chronic pain through positive distraction. Starlight Gaming and Virtual Reality immerse kids in entertaining experiences, so they pay less attention to their pain. Kids are so immersed that sometimes, when they need to get poked by a needle in the hospital, they don’t even realize they’re getting poked! Kids feel more comfortable and confident to face procedures and treatments.
Starlight supports children’s chronic pain outside the hospital through the Starlight Families program. The program bridges the gap between in-hospital and at-home care. When families sign up, they receive tools and resources to help make the child’s medical journey more positive.
