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Riley Children's Health

Pain Management Program

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When your child is in pain, you may feel helpless and anxious. Fortunately, specialized professional help is available at the Pain Program at Riley Children's. We are home to Indiana’s only comprehensive pediatric pain program, where multiple specialists and professionals work together to provide interdisciplinary care. Our medical team is as committed to your child’s comfort and well-being as you are, and we know the challenges children and families face when pain interferes with life, learning and happiness.

All of our pain clinic providers have specialty training and expertise in pediatric pain and work as a team to serve all patients in the Pediatric Pain Management Program. They have committed their careers to serving the needs of children like yours. These professionals work together in close communication with your child’s doctors or other healthcare providers to develop a complete, integrated treatment plan for his or her specific pain management needs. As your child’s treatment progresses, the team will closely monitor improvement, emotional health and function to make sure the treatment plan is working and to make any adjustments if needed.

Depending on your child’s needs, the treatment plan may include:

  • Medicine to help control pain or to treat depression or anxiety
  • Nerve blocks and epidurals to provide immediate, temporary relief
  • Exercises designed to help manage pain and improve function
  • Biofeedback using special equipment to help your child become aware of the body’s responses and learn to manage them
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help change negative thought and behavior patterns
  • Acupuncture, increasingly used to relieve many kinds of pain in children

Focus on the Whole Child

The Pain Program at Riley Children's focuses on rehabilitation and restoring function as well as pain relief. Patients and parents or guardians take an active role in the treatment plan and rehabilitation process during their child's care at Riley Children's and home. Targeted exercises, biofeedback and relaxation can be worked into your child’s daily schedule. We will work with you and your child to answer any questions and make sure you feel confident carrying out the treatment plan.

Children who are hurting may also be dealing with depression, anger, frustration and anxiety, and their families often suffer as well. Our pediatric psychologist works with the rest of the team to help patients and families cope. We can help children find healthy ways to express what they are feeling and provide medicine or other treatments if necessary. We can also help with parenting strategies (learning what is too much or too little to expect from your child and creating a regular schedule for pain management and other activities).

Your child might miss some school as a result of his or her painful condition or while he or she is being treated. We can provide notes to the school, and if needed, help you set up a plan such as an individualized education program (IEP) plan or a 504 plan.

Conditions & Services

Conditions Treated

Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.

  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Connective Tissue Disorders
  • Fibromyalgia in Children
  • Functional Abdominal Pain
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Sickle Cell Disease

Services Offered

We offer a number of different Pain Management Program services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our program.

  • Acute Pain Management
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Pain & Symptom Management
  • Physical Therapy

Providers and Locations

Providers

Program Forms & Resources

Program Forms & Resources

Riley Children's Health provides the following forms for parents, healthcare providers and personnel. We have also curated relevant resources from other websites and provided links with brief descriptions of the information that is available.

Resources

  • Pain Management Tips 884.495 KB

  • Pain Management Resources by Age Group

  • Pain Management Research

  • Understanding Chronic Pain

  • National Fibromyalgia Association

  • CRPS Support Community

  • The Ehlers-Danlos Society

  • Sickle Cell Disease Coalition

  • International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

Related Departments

Related Departments

We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related departments.

  • Pediatric Cancer & Blood Disorders
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Pediatric Rheumatology

Related Stories

Related Stories

Blog Weisenbach web 1

After tractor accident, child’s pain became her constant companion

06/15/21 Patient Stories

Jenna Weisenbach talks about suffering Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: “I went through an identity crisis where ‘it’ was all I was. I wasn’t a person, I was a disease.”

Continue reading

Health Professionals

For Health Professionals

The Pain Program at Riley Children's is the only comprehensive, interdisciplinary pediatric pain program in Indiana. Our anesthesiologists, pediatric psychologists, physical therapist, and nurse practitioner work together in communication with the child’s doctor and other providers to ensure each child receives safe, effective pain management, rehabilitation and psychotherapy.

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Riley Children's Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.

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Education

In partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley at IU Health is home to training programs for medical students, residents and fellows, as well as clinical psychology interns and fellows. A pediatric anesthesiology fellowship is available through the Department of Anesthesiology.

Education Resources:
  • Medical Students
  • Residents
  • Psychology Internship Program
  • Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Pain
  • Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship
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Find adult services at iuhealth.org

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Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2023-24

©2025 Riley Hospital for Children at
Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org


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