Chronic Pain Program

Pain usually serves as a natural warning that something is wrong with the body, but when it lasts a long time, pain no longer serves as a valuable alert. Instead, it can interfere with everyday activities and reduce the quality of your child’s life. Pain that causes children to stop moving, miss school, lose sleep, and withdraw from friends and social activities can lead to significant physical, emotional and social distress.

At Connecticut Children’s, chronic pain is treated by a multidisciplinary team of pain management physicians and nurse practitioners, psychologists, physical or occupational therapists, and nurses.  Generally, a combination of physical, behavioral and drug therapies are used to treat chronic pain.  By working with our pain management specialists, you will develop a holistic treatment plan to regain movement and function and learn coping skills to manage your child’s chronic pain.

Pain Psychology Support

After your initial pain management evaluation, you may be referred to engage with our Pain Psychology team for further individual and/or group therapy sessions. Connecticut Children’s pain psychologists will teach you and your child pain-focused cognitive behavioral therapy strategies and relaxation and stress management techniques. These integrative therapies are helpful components of treatment plans that support the development of self-management skills for chronic pain. In addition, by working with our pain psychologists, children and families are able to communicate more effectively with their healthcare team and school personnel.

Please visit our Pain Psychology Services page to learn more about your program and group therapy offerings.

Occupational and Physical Therapy

While occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) focus on different areas of the body, both can help children move comfortably again and regain their quality of life. When managing chronic pain, OT/PT specialists may prescribe specific exercises to restore strength, increase range of motion, and improve motor function.  You will meet your OT/PT team during your initial New Team visit.  If recommended, you may be referred to engage with them for further sessions.

Please visit our Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy pages to learn more.

Your Nursing Team 

Nurses in the Pain Management clinic at Connecticut Children’s use a combination of clinical skills, patient education, advocacy, and emotional support. Chronic pain nurses work with the multidisciplinary team to treat chronic pain by using medical and behavioral interventions along with movement to improve patients’ quality of life. Your nursing team is available to help you navigate through your chronic journey.  You may call our office at 860.837.5207 Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm, or you may send questions via MyChart.

Neuroirritability Program

Neuroirritability, also known as chronic neuro-pain, is a common presentation among children with medical complexity or neurological impairment. It is described as persistent or recurrent episodes of pain behaviors which are related to abnormal signaling of the nervous system. We partner with additional specialties to help address symptoms and improve overall signs of ongoing discomfort. The initial visit in generally 1-hour in-person with one provider, and follow-ups are usually 30 minutes and can be virtual, if preferred. Referrals can be placed from within Connecticut Children’s or by outside providers.

Interventional Pain Management Program

Some patients may be referred by their pain management physician or nurse practitioner for an interventional pain management procedure, such as Botox injections, Nerve Blocks, or Lidocaine infusions, to help manage their chronic pain.  Visit our Interventional Pain Management Program page to learn more.