Handbook of Pediatric Chronic Pain: Current Science and Integrative Practice

The purpose of this text is to provide not only the science and current knowledge of pediatric pain management but a rationale for intervention. The book is ground-breaking in that it provides pearls for the recognition and management of multiple childhood chronic pain syndromes. Also, uncommon yet confounding issues such as pain management for epidermolysis bullosa are adequately addressed. Concerns unique to pediatric patients are reviewed. While there are no firm standards in pediatric chronic pain, a care plan is offered to help guide practitioners when possible.

The book will consist of 24 chapters, many co-written by a physician and a psychologist. Chapter 1 covers the history of pediatric chronic pain, the advancement pediatric pain as a clinical subspecialty, development of pediatric pain clinics, and characterization of the common pain syndromes. Chapters 2-4 cover, respectively, the research on early pain exposure and neuroplasticity, theories on the common adolescent pain syndromes, and the demographics of chronic pain in children. Chapters 5-16 discuss approaches to assessment and intervention for specific pediatric and adolescent pain syndromes. Chapters 17-23 address interventional techniques such as therapeutic blocks, neurablation, implantable systems, physical therapy, complementary therapy, and pharmacology including opioid tolerance. The final chapter discusses the role of the nurse practitioner in pediatric chronic pain.

Dr. Brenda C. McClain is the director of Pediatric Pain Management Services at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. She is a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain, the American Pain Society, and the American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM). She is a national and international speaker on various topics within pediatric pain. Her current research is on the use of NMDA receptor antagonists in acute and chronic pediatric pain. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics―Anesthesiology Section and is certified in pain management by the American Board of Anesthesiology and in pain medicine by the ABPM. Dr. Suresh is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics and is co-director of the Pain Program at Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Suresh is nationally renown for his expertise in regional anesthesia and has contributed to the popular NYSORA website on pediatric regional techniques. His current research is on neuroplasticity in relation to pediatric pain syndromes and their management.