Open AccessEmbracing Our Role in the Prevention of Chronic Pain
Author(s) -
Mary Swiggum,
Erin Jacobson,
Diane M. Wrisley
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pediatric physical therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.621
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1538-005X
pISSN - 0898-5669
DOI - 10.1097/pep.0000000000000767
Subject(s) - sequela , chronic pain , medicine , coping (psychology) , pain catastrophizing , perspective (graphical) , physical therapy , psychiatry , artificial intelligence , computer science
This perspective article advocates for pediatric physical therapists to increase their role and visibility in the primary and secondary prevention of chronic pain during 2 critical developmental periods: infancy and early adolescence. The opioid epidemic and the disabling aspects of chronic pain are adversely affecting children and their families. Health care disciplines are adopting measures that address risk factors for the development of chronic pain in children, including strategies to minimize acute procedural pain and parental education to reinforce healthy pain-coping behaviors. Pediatric physical therapists are uniquely positioned to develop and adopt strategies to aid in this effort. They routinely screen and evaluate children for developmental delays and work with children who are at increased risk for developing chronic pain as a sequela of their health condition or as a consequence of painful medical procedures.