Chronic Pain Management

It’s never easy to watch your child in pain — and it can be especially difficult if they have chronic (long-lasting) pain.

If your child has chronic pain, know that you are not alone. Many children and families are affected by it, and it can have a significant impact on their lifestyle and overall well being.

At Children’s Nebraska, we’re here to help ease pain and improve everyday quality of life for your child and your family.

What Sets Children’s Apart?

Here at Children’s, chronic pain patients are in good hands:

• As the only chronic pain management program in Nebraska dedicated solely to pediatrics, we are the region’s experts in treating children and understanding their unique needs.
• Children’s has been recognized nationally for excellence in care, safety, and innovations in healthcare technology.
• We offer unique specialty programs for children with certain conditions, utilizing a variety of treatments personalized for each child’s unique needs.

Treating Chronic Pain

In some cases, chronic pain can come from another condition, such as arthritis or cancer, or it can be a lingering effect after an injury or infection. Pain comes in many shapes and sizes — it can be sharp or dull, in one location or throughout the entire body, and range from mild to severe.

Since pain is different for every child, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. Treatment is based on the cause, type, and severity of your child’s pain, and their individual needs.

Our team will create a customized treatment plan that’s tailored specifically for your child. Our team takes a functional approach to treating chronic pain. The mainstays of treatment include movement and managing stressors. Our physical therapist, occupational therapist and behavioral health specialist are integral to the treatment approach. At times, your child’s treatment plan may include medications and/or interventional procedures.

Beginning Treatment at the Chronic Pain Management Program

In most cases, pain management begins with a referral from your child’s pediatrician or pediatric specialty care provider. Our team will review your child’s case prior to scheduling an intake appointment to ensure that they are a good candidate to see our multidisciplinary team. The most common conditions seen in our clinic include Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). After reviewing your child’s referral and determining that they are a good candidate for the clinic, we will reach out to schedule an appointment.

During the Appointment

The appointment will take place at the Pediatric Chronic Pain Clinic:

Children’s Spring Ridge Clinic
17819 Pierce Plaza
Omaha, Ne 68130

At the intake appointment, you and your child will meet with our multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Clinic team, which includes an anesthesiologist, nurse practitioner, psychologist, physical therapist and occupational therapist.

The physical or occupational therapist will take your child to the gym and have them do several exercises to evaluate their muscle strength, coordination, range of motion, and ability to move and function.

Throughout the appointment, we may meet with you or your child individually.

Before you leave, we will develop discuss our treatment recommendations with you and your child.

Chronic Pain Clinic “M.O.V.E.” Programs

For many children, chronic pain can be treated with outpatient care, such as with physical therapy. However, if your child’s pain causes significant functional disability – such as having to stay home from school or being withdrawn from daily activities – they may benefit from a more intensive treatment approach.

Our clinic offers two M.O.V.E. programs, which stands for Motivation, Opportunity, Vitality and Engagement. The first program occurs every day for a total of five weeks. The second program occurs once per week for a total of six weeks. Participants are expected to be active in school and in extracurricular activities while partaking in the program. Children’s Chronic Pain Clinic Social Worker will work closely with your child’s school to inform them of the hours that your child will be at the program.

Children’s M.O.V.E. programs include various treatment modalities, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, yoga, massage and behavioral health. Please note that not all patients who complete an intake appointment at the Chronic Pain Clinic will be a candidate for a M.O.V.E. program.

M.O.V.E. Daily Pain Program (5 weeks)

 

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:00-9:00am	PT	PT		PT	PT
9:00-10:00am	OT	OT		OT	OT
10:00-11:00am			OT
11:00am-12:00pm			PT
12:30pm-1:00pm			BH
1:00pm-1:45pm			Yoga

(OT=Occupational Therapy; PT=Physical Therapy; BH=Behavioral Therapy)

M.O.V.E. Weekly Pain Program (6 weeks)

Held on Wednesdays Only

	Wednesday
1:00pm-1:45pm	Yoga
1:45pm-2:30pm	Session A
2:30pm-3:15pm	Session B
3:15pm-4:00pm	Session C

Session A, B, and C will consist of Behavioral Therapy, Occupational or Physical Therapy, and Massage Therapy. A schedule of session times will be provided during admittance into the program.

Our Specialists

Our team is comprised of providers from multiple specialties, all dedicated to helping your child overcome the challenges of chronic pain.

Meet Our Yoga Instructor

Jen creates Hatha, Restorative, and body-based yoga/meditation classes. Her classes explore meditations for healing, transformation, and deep relaxation. She believes that yoga doesn’t have to be complicated to help us feel good in our bodies and in our lives. Through practice of yoga, we learn how to live in balance with ourselves and the world. Jen is continuing her education with Yin and Chair yoga to expand her class offerings. She hopes to pay it forward, helping guide others along their own paths, fostering camaraderie and community.

What To Do Next

For Patients

Your child will need a referral from their primary care provider or specialty physician, such as a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon.

To schedule an appointment, call 402-955-7170.

For Providers

To refer a patient, call 402-955-7170.

Children’s providers can send internal referrals to our clinic by going to the orders tab and placing an order for “Amb referral to chronic pain clinic.”

Learn more about referring patients.