Pain Rehabilitation for Children
Children and young people of all ages with chronic pain can be referred to the Bath Centre for Pain Services. The BCPS has a team highly experienced in working with children, young people and their families.
Assessment
One the day of assessment you will arrive at BCPS to meet a Consultant Paediatrician and a Clinical Psychologist specialising in paediatric chronic pain. A full medical history is taken to ensure that the young person is medically appropriate for a pain management intervention. A detailed psychosocial history is completed, exploring the impact of pain on school, mood, fitness, social activity, developmental history, eating, sleeping and the impact on the family.
For highly complex cases where physical disability is significant a Clinical Specialist Occupational or Physiotherapist or Clinical Nurse Specialist may be involved, as appropriate.
The assessment includes pain education and information about intervention options. It is a therapeutic intervention in its own right.
Currently all assessments are taking place online.
The Clinicians assess carefully and thoroughly in order to make the right clinical decision and offer the most suitable intervention option.
Click on the below image to view our service leaflet for our (1) Paediatric and Young Adult services., and (2) paediatric CRPS service.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Young People
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in younger people is different in many ways from CRPS in adults. We offer dedicated, specialist treatment for this difficult and rare condition.
The BCPS offers an initial week-long intensive intervention for CRPS. This intervention is residential and consists of specialist physiotherapy intervention with psychology input to support the challenging process. The focus is on rehabilitation; we do not offer interventions like injections. A follow-up touch point is also offered (usually conducted by email or telephone) at an agreed time post intervention. We have run dedicated paediatric CRPS treatment for many years, and also sometimes treat young people with CRPS in our adolescent groups, where appropriate.
Individual Admission
Some children are not appropriate for a group intervention. These children may be too young or have other factors that mean they would benefit more from an individual approach. Following a thorough assessment, interventions can be designed to meet these individual needs, for example:
High levels of disability
Individual admissions are delivered to highly disabled young people, who are routinely accommodated on site, in a ground floor en-suite bedroom. Health care assistants can offer support with washing and dressing activities, if required. Please note this is effectively supported living and different to the ward-based care offered in acute hospital settings. Patients who are impacted by pain but have a greater level of mobility are likely to be accommodated on our second floor, in shared flats. Some of these rooms have en-suites, others have access to a shared bathroom.
Parent work
Individual admissions can also target working with parents facing the challenge of parenting a young child with chronic pain. Parents can also be accommodated on site with their child, typically in a twin bedroom with them.
Three Week Programme
Young people from the age of 9 years can be treated in residential group based pain rehabilitation programmes. Each young person attends with a parent or adult, preferably the primary carer. The programme day starts at 8.45 am and finishes at around 4.10 pm (similar to a school day). The programme goes at a steady pace working towards long-term sustainable activity increases. Each day includes 1 or 2 exercise sessions, psychology and activity sessions. Pain education and medication sessions are delivered by the doctors, healthy living (good diet and sleep patterns) is addressed and communication skills developed. The team work with each young person to adapt the programme to meet their individual needs and treatment goals. In week 2 parents and young people have separate sessions. The sessions for parents explore the challenges of parenting and supporting a young person with pain to achieve their potential. Age appropriate activities outside the hospital are facilitated.
This program is suitable for young people with:
- Moderate to high levels of pain associated disability
- Low mood
- High anxiety
- Reduced activity and fitness
- Difficulties in accessing education
- Low levels of daily activity
- Use of pain medication
- Have previously sought appropriate paediatric intervention
- May have mental health needs
- Able to stay in residential accommodation
Click here for more information about our accommodation and food.
To hear more about the experienced of past programme participants and their parents, who participated in a Podcast following their programme, please click on the following link:
For information on how you or a loved one could be referred, please click the icon below.