Assessment and Management of Pain Syndromes and Arthritis Pain in Children and Adolescents

Pediatric rheumatologists increasingly are faced with the challenge of assessing, diagnosing, and managing pain in children and adolescents. Recent research suggests that muscloskeletal pain may be the most common complaint for which children are referred to pediatric rheumatologists. Understanding the nature of chronic musculoskeletal pain in children is advantageous for general pediatric practitioners and subspecialists. This article introduces issues related to pain in children who have musculoskeletal pain syndromes and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.