1 in 5 children are living with chronic pain, the same proportion as the adult population, but diagnosis and treatment are delayed by a lack of pain services for children.
Australia only has six paediatric pain clinics nationally. Because most clinics cap referrals at roughly 250 per year, the average wait time for a child to get an appointment is between 1 and 3 years. This is a tremendously long time in a short life, and can span some of a child’s critical developmental years.
Children living with chronic pain miss out on 22% of their schooling – an average 1 day a week, or 2 weeks of a school term.
But children living with chronic pain are often not believed. 20% of teachers in a recent study1 didn’t believe their student had chronic pain.
To raise awareness, Chronic Pain Australia will be launching a new initiative, Kids in Pain Week, which will run from 23 – 29 September 2024. The week will feature expert webinars covering the latest neuroscience in paediatric pain, along with insightful sessions on how to navigate school with a chronic pain diagnosis. The week will end with a virtual event for kids living with pain and their families and carers, featuring Kids in Pain ambassadors, celebrity messages, expert insights, activities and prizes.
Dr Joshua Pate, a researcher and pain scientist, says that society is often blind to pain in children.
“The latest data shows that there are roughly 5 kids in every class facing the challenges of chronic pain. And the school absence data is staggering: an average of 22%! That’s about 9 weeks of school missed per year.”
“Many of these kids challenged by pain also feel dismissed that their pain isn’t real, leading to stigma and isolation.”
“Our community needs to recognise and validate the pain experiences of children,” Dr Pate says.
Chairperson of Chronic Pain Australia, Nicolette Ellis said that children’s pain has to be taken seriously.
Many children face disbelief because chronic pain is often associated with older age and wear and tear. However, children’s pain is just as real and debilitating as adult pain, but it’s complicated by communication challenges and unique developmental needs. Chronic Pain Australia is working to dispel this misconception—pain affects all ages, and we must do more to support our most vulnerable: our children.
Left untreated, chronic pain in children can disrupt activities like play and school, leading to further developmental challenges that may persist into adulthood. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential to changing the course of a child’s life, yet it’s unacceptable that, on average, children wait three years for a chronic pain diagnosis. This delay reveals a significant gap in healthcare, where the invisibility of children’s pain has led to it becoming an invisible priority.
Children are not mini adults and need specialised resources, support, and pain services. With only six paediatric pain clinics in the country, we urgently need more localised multidisciplinary teams in primary care to ensure children with chronic pain are diagnosed and treated promptly. These models of care already exist and must be scaled nationally so that no child is left struggling in the shadows of chronic pain.
“Just because children are smaller people doesn’t mean their pain is any less,” Ms Ellis says.
“This Kids in Pain week, we are calling on governments and the community not to minimise chronic pain in our most vulnerable.”
1 Fechner R, Noel M, Verhagen A, Turbi6 E, Pate JW. Do Teachers Ques@on the Reality of Pain in Their Students? A Survey Using the Concept of Pain
For media enquiries
Curtis| 0401 094 170 | Curtis@agendac.com.au Mitchell | 0424 931 588 | Mitchell@agendac.com.au
About Kids in Pain Week
Kids in Pain week will run from 23 – 29 September 2024, featuring expert webinars and culminating with an interactive virtual event for children. Chronic Pain Australia will launch a new eBook Parenting Through Pain during Kids in Pain Week 2024.
About Chronic Pain Australia
Chronic Pain Australia (CPA) is the national voice for the 3.6 million Australians living with chronic pain. Established with a vision to validate, equip, and empower individuals experiencing chronic pain, CPA strives to ensure that every Australian with chronic pain is an active participant in their own care.