Child with Chronic Pain

[Hillwoody]

Just a shout out to the amazing Dr Rachael Coakley, her book "When Your Child Hurts" amazon.co.uk/When-Your-Chil... and The Comfort Ability website thecomfortability.com/ ..

My 12 year old has had costochondritis, with added allodynia and hyperalgesia for good measure for 6 months. Felt like a maze to unravel the diagnosis and another maze to find any treatment which might help.

Dr Coakley's book made me cry with relief. It was like someone taking my hand and guiding me out of the maze. We are still working on it, but with a multidisciplinary approach - a combination of amitriptyline (helped her sleep at least) relaxation techniques and yoga (effective for management!), acupuncture (amazing), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (with a focus on management of chronic pain) (helpful), desensitisation (scary, but maybe the key?), osteopathy (good for underlying issue)- we are finally getting there - Last week the allodynia just switched itself off - amazing!

The website also helped me prep for meetings with the school and understand my role as parent better - when to sympathise, when to be tough etc -

We might just about get her better before the 6 month waiting list for an NHS appointment at the Pain Clinic is up - you never know -

If your child is suffering migraines, fibromyalgia, costochondritis, rheumatoid arthritis, allodynia, chronic regional pain syndrome - This is the book for you! Bloody brilliant!

Good luck

Louise

[manwithnoname]

Hi yes I have had acupuncture in the past but for some reason it made me feel worse so I stopped having it. Sorry I can't be of much more help to you.