In this interview, pain specialist nurse Jenny McHugh discusses working with children at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, with Prof. Bernie Carter.
They talk about the kinds of persistent pain children present with, and the role of a multidisciplinary team in working with them.
By thinking ‘outside the box’, Jenny has successfully introduced acupuncture into the children’s chronic pain service. This is to address not only physical pain, but also associated issues such as sleep loss and anxiety.
There is a need for ways to support children and young people to get moving again while experiencing chronic pain. This points to the potential role that dance and somatic practices could play in the future.
Some terms you might hear:
MDT – Multi Disciplinary Team
CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Skeletal dysplasia / exostosis – bone disorders
Neurofibroma – nerve tumour
Deconditioning – physiological change following inactivity
Oncology – study of cancer
Anaelgesia – medication for pain relief
NICE guidelines – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
CDEG – Clinical Development and Evaluation Group
CBT – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Staff members at Alder Hey are occasionally visible in the background, but they have given their consent.
