Pain in other places

In principle, pain can occur anywhere in the body. Here, the search for the cause is of paramount importance. This is often relatively clear – with pain in the joints, rheumatoid arthritis or a recurring inflammation of the joints can be the cause.

The family doctor or pediatrician decides which investigations are required to find the cause. In special illnesses he will refer to a specialist; in joint inflammations to a rheumatologist, for example.

The investigations sometimes produce no clear explanation of the cause of the trouble. This can be unsatisfactory and somewhat unsettling. The search for the “why” can increasingly dominate the life of affected families.

If the search for a cause goes on for a long time, investigative methods are sometimes used that one doctor feels are appropriate but another does not. If pain is a prominent part of the illness, it can be helpful to consult a doctor with experience in chronic pain in children and adolescents. In this way, painful interventions can often be avoided.

What’s important is that regardless of whether an underlying organic, that is, physical illness is present or not, pain is amenable to treatment with various non-medicinal measures.