New study defines chronic pain in children, suggests better treatment
New research from Montreal shows nociplastic pain can develop in children and adolescents.
Nociplastic pain is pain that patients experience without any evidence of tissue or nervous system damage.
Researchers at the Montreal Children's Hospital and the MUHC's research institute recently published their observations in The Journal of Pain Research and have developed a treatment protocol that significantly reduces patients' use of medications to treat it.
"Nociplastic pain is notably present in people with fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome," said study co-lead Dr. Pablo Ingelmo in a news release. "While first identified in adults, it had never been described in children."
Ingelmo said there are around 6,000 children in Montreal and Laval who suffer from chronic pain and that the majority of them wind up in hospital ERs where physicians don't necessarily know how to treat their complex issues aside from prescribing drugs. The patients' families, he said, often have to pay large sums out of pocket, wind up isolated and often miss long stretches of school.
The Edwards Family Interdisciplinary Centre for Complex Pain at the Children's became the first pediatric complex pain facility in Canada to start looking at the nociceptive system in 2016. The nociceptive system is what activates pain and connects it to the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Children suffering these types of pain suffered from panic disorder and social phobia symptoms and weren't able to get quality sleep when compared to patients with other types of pain.
Igelmo said that 75 per cent of patients at the centre reported adverse effects immediately, and researchers at the centre wanted to reduce these while improving treatment options.
"We can now identify children and adolescents with nociplastic pain and treat them accordingly," said Ingelmo. "The result is fewer drugs, fewer side effects, lower costs and, most importantly, happier patients."
According to the hospital, the research team focused on personalized medicine rather than drug treatments used in adults.
The results, the study shows, were positive.
"Because we can now determine how each of our young patients feels pain, we can personalize treatments and avoid giving them inappropriate and unnecessary medications," said study co-lead Catherine Ferland. "This is the culmination of a long process that we have put in place and that has paid off."
The study involved 414 patients between 2016 and 2021. Around 40 per cent of them were identified as having nociplastic pain that involves the following:
- Persistent or recurrent pain for at least three months.
- Regional (diffuse) pain rather than discrete/distinct in distribution.
- No evidence that other pain mechanisms are entirely responsible for the pain.
- Evoked pain hypersensitivity that can be clinically elicited in the region of pain.
Ingelmo said that a third of those who suffer nociplastic pain will develop chronic pain as adults, making it extra important to identify what pain mechanism is at work and how to treat it.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Monday proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Bill C-70 proposes to enact a new 'Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act.'