Management of Acute Pain in Children: Nonpharmacologic

Nonpharmacologic approaches for the treatment of pain in children include psychological strategies, education and parental support. For children undergoing repeated painful procedures, cognitive-behavioral therapy interventions, which decrease anxiety and distress, can be quite effective.¹⁷ The aim of such therapies is to provide responses that may help children master a distressing situation, ideally in a manner consistent with their basic coping strategies. Most of these techniques take time to learn and master, so simple distraction techniques that divert attention away from painful stimuli, or positive incentive techniques which provide a small reward (e.g., stickers or prizes) for attempts at mastery of their responses, can be effective for children undergoing occasional procedures. These techniques are designed to decrease anxiety, but are not adequate as the sole means of pain relief for most painful procedures.