![]() ![]() There are a wide variety of medically difficult-to-explain chronic painful conditions that present in the pediatric population, which are often referred to as medically unexplained syndromes (MUS). Therefore, it is paramount that these chronic conditions be accurately assessed and treated in order to improve functioning and prevent long-term sequelae and deviation from a normal developmental trajectory. Symptoms of pediatric chronic pain can be severe and disabling, impairing the daily functioning of children and having an adverse impact on their families. The most common chronic pain conditions in children include migraine, recurrent abdominal pain, and general musculoskeletal pain. The most commonly reported locations of pain in children and adolescents are the head, stomach, arms and legs. ![]() The experience of chronic pain is also impacted by psychosocial factors (stress, negative affective states, family response, etc.) in addition to these biological factors. Pain is considered a chronic condition when it has persisted for at least three months, moving beyond simple tissue damage (nociceptive) to subsequent changes within the peripheral and central nervous systems (neuropathic). It has been estimated that fifteen to thirty percent of children and adolescents experience chronic pain, with prevalence increasing with age and occurring slightly more commonly in girls than boys. ![]()
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January 2023
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