Programs & Services

Phoenix Children’s offers many programs and services for children and families whose lives are affected by acute or chronic pain. Your child’s pain medicine team will discuss pain management options customized to individual and changing needs. We offer these and other programs and services:

Our team includes doctors who specialize in treating acute pain caused by illness, injury or surgery. If your child is hospitalized, a pediatric anesthesiologist and other specialists, including a nurse practitioner, will help manage any acute pain your child might experience, including post-operative pain. They visit patients throughout the hospital during daily rounds. They guide care and offer multiple pain management treatment approaches that help kids to be as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

The Comprehensive Pain Clinic at Phoenix Children’s is the only pediatric pain clinic in Arizona. We evaluate and treat patients from Arizona and other states. Our clinics are conveniently located on the Thomas Campus of Phoenix Children’s and throughout the Valley, serving Scottsdale, Avondale and Gilbert area communities.

We take a multidisciplinary treatment approach to pain. It includes using physical therapy, exercise, pain psychology, acupuncture or other targeted therapies including medications, interventional procedures such as nerve blocks, and others.

In addition, Pain Medicine doctors prescribe medications as needed. These may include interventional procedures such as injections, IV medication and nerve blocks. Our focus is on restoring function and easing pain.

We have tailored this outpatient pain rehabilitation program to young adolescents who suffer from chronic pain. The program takes a multidisciplinary approach. The participants have weekly therapies designed as a “one-stop-shop,” for a half-day a week. These therapies include:

• Acupuncture
• Medication management, if appropriate
• Osteopathic manipulation therapy 
• Pain psychology
• Physical Therapy

Studies show that this approach can improve and restore function and reduce pain. Kids develop and strengthen their coping skills to help manage chronic pain and other stressors in their lives. WRAPP allows them to participate in a pain management rehabilitation program while remaining at home and staying in school.

Our pain medicine experts work closely with other specialties to prevent, manage and treat acute and chronic pain. They treat children in the hospital and in our outpatient clinics. Phoenix Children’s offers patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and many minimally invasive, image-guided techniques to treat pain. Learn more about interventional pain management treatments at Phoenix Children’s. 

Severe, debilitating pain affects every part of a child’s life. Our inpatient pain rehabilitation includes therapies designed to prevent or manage pain, including at least three hours of combined physical therapy and occupational therapy, and daily pain psychology. 

Other services include art therapy, child life, pet therapy, and school. We also teach kids and their families ways to improve function and cope with difficult chronic or acute conditions.

Our pain medicine rehabilitation specialists use techniques ranging from medical treatments to targeted physical therapies that help kids regain independence. We help improve or restore their ability to participate in normal activities. 

Research studies and individual experiences support the effectiveness of many approaches to pain management that work alongside other pain therapies. At Phoenix Children’s, we combine traditional and alternative therapies to help kids achieve their best possible results. 

Integrative medicine focuses on whole-body healing. Our practitioners treat both the mind and the body, taking into consideration emotional, mental, spiritual and environmental variables. These factors can contribute to a child or teen’s pain and affect their overall health and well-being.

Our Pain Medicine team works with other specialists to combine innovative, study-backed approaches. These techniques can help reduce pain, fatigue and anxiety while promoting good health. Your child’s pain management team may discuss integrative therapies such as: 

• Acupuncture (insertion of hair-thin needles at strategic body points to manage pain and stimulate healing)
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Kinesio taping (use of stretchy tape that allows movement while also easing pain)
• Massage therapy
• Music and therapeutic arts
• Reiki (use of light touch to direct energy and promote healing)

Learn more about these and other integrated treatments for pain and integrative medicine services at Phoenix Children’s.

Effective, holistic care requires managing sensory, cognitive and emotional wellness. Most children can use coping strategies to manage acute and chronic pain. When indicated, our team will consult with pain psychology experts and other specialists at Phoenix Children’s to find ways to help your child cope with their pain.

Pain Psychology

We work with psychology experts and other specialists at Phoenix Children’s to find ways to help your child cope with pain. Pediatric psychologists can help evaluate and treat stress, anxiety, depression and other factors that may result from or contribute to pain.

Pain Management Services for Teens

Adolescents often face stressors and challenges that chronic or acute pain can make worse. Some teens may benefit from related services such as mental health therapy or participation in supportive services available at Phoenix Children’s, including:

• Center for Resiliency and Wellbeing – Pediatric specialists consider the role of adverse childhood events (ACEs), including traumatic experiences and chronic stress, in pain management and wellness.
• Teen Chronic Pain Group – This group supports our teen patients at Phoenix Children’s. During the weekly sessions, our specialists review pain management strategies such as cognitive behavioral techniques, relaxation, problem-solving, goal setting, effective communication and other skills.
• Pediatric psychiatry, adolescent medicine and addiction care – We work closely with child psychiatry providers who have advanced training and experience in child and adolescent psychiatry, including addiction care. Our specialists can help kids and families:
  • Understand the role of cognition and emotion  
  • Manage conditions such as depression, anxiety, impulsivity and mood disorders 
  • Manage medication withdrawal and related discomfort and challenges