Chronic pain can occur in any person, no matter what their age. The disease processes and perceptions of pain differ from person to person but are not any kinder to the toddler than they are to the geriatric individuals in our society. Unfortunately, children are sometimes reticent to let you know that they are having pain, or they are unable to tell you exactly what hurts because they either can't talk well enough yet, or they seem to hurt all over. These tips should help you to be able to recognize when your child is having pain, and hopefully allow you to seek treatment for them prior to the pain becoming chronic.
- Establish what the norm is for your child. Recognize that your child will have good days and bad days and make sure you set a baseline so that when something out of the ordinary occurs you will notice it. If your child's baseline of normal behavior suddenly changes your child may be experiencing pain.
- Note your child's activity level. Is she suddenly just sitting around instead of running and jumping? Has he quit playing with a specific truck that he always plays with? If your child suddenly begins avoiding specific activities that were once the only thing your child wanted to do, you child may be experiencing pain and the pain may have been inflicted by that particular toy or activity.
- Notice if your child begins to favor one arm or one leg over the other when doing things. Has she stopped using her right arm to pick up toys? Has he quit walking and started to crawl again, crying whenever you set him on his left foot? Often if a child is favoring one arm or leg over the other your child may be experiencing pain.
- Make sure to pay attention to your child's facial expressions. Does she wince everytime you change her diaper? Does he seem to thrust his chin forward and scowl every time he swallows? Children are wonderful at expressing emotions, feelings and pain through their facial features. If your child is scowling, wincing, screwing up their face, or holding their mouth tightly shut or out and out crying, your child may be experiencing pain.
- If your child can say a few words like "ow-ow, ouch, or hurts" pay attention. If your child suddenly cries out and says "ow-ow" holding up a finger it can be pretty obvious that something has caused your child pain. However, if your child is at rest saying "hurts" in a half asleep state, or if your child is moaning a lot and just generally seems out of sorts, these signs are more subtle. If your child begins using words for pain, even if they seem to be at non-specific times, your child may be experiencing pain.
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