Chronic pain after surgery is usually defined as pain that lasts at least two months after the procedure. Chronic pain after injury or surgery is considered rare, as most pain goes away with time and treatment. However, it can still develop. This is true for patients of any age, including adults or children.  Those who experience chronic pain after an injury can develop complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a condition that usually affects the arm, leg, hand, or foot.

Several risk factors are believed to be behind chronic pain after injury or surgery. These include the type of procedure or injury, age (younger patients are generally more susceptible than older patients), certain preexisting conditions, mood disorders, levels of pain experienced before the surgery or injury, and medications. 

Our Team

An experienced, interdisciplinary care team works with each patient and family to manage a child's pain by promoting healthy daily functioning and pain coping skills using an interdisciplinary rehabilitation model. Our team includes:

  • Pediatric pain fellowship-trained physician
  • Child psychiatrists
  • Pediatricians
  • Pediatric rehabilitation physicians
  • Pediatric psychologists/cognitive behavioral therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Social workers
  • Care coordinators
  • Case managers
  • Educators
  • Child life specialists
  • Nurses/nurse practitioners
  • Therapeutic recreation specialists

Our Treatment Approach

We offer a multimodal approach to pain management that includes:

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy  (e.g. deep controlled diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, interactive distraction, guided visual imagery, cognitive restructuring, biofeedback, mindfulness, meditation)
  • Physical Therapy (functional, manual and visceral therapies, heat/cold)
  • Occupational therapy (activities of daily living)
  • Non-narcotic pain medications
  • Interventional pain procedures under sedation
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
  • Other novel and emerging treatment modalities for pain management

As one of the few hospitals in the country to offer interventional pain services for children guided by imaging in an operating room, we offer the following procedures:

  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Facet joint injections
  • Sacroiliac joint injections
  • Piriformis injections
  • Muscle and joint injections
  • Occipital nerve blocks
  • Abdominal blocks (e.g., transverse abdominis plane [TAP] and rectus sheath blocks)
  • Intercostal nerve blocks
  • Sternum injections
  • Bursa injections
  • Scar injections
  • Peripheral nerve blocks
  • Trigger point injections