Posted on March 21, 2022
Chronic Pain Program helps Selena – and kids like her – find relief
Selena Jacinto is looking forward to graduating from high school this spring and gearing up for college in the fall. A few months ago, the 17-year-old’s life goals seemed out of reach.
Plagued by disabling headaches and body pain for years, Selena found it difficult to attend school, exercise or enjoy hobbies. Chronic pain was making her life miserable – both physically and emotionally.
“We tried medications,” Selena said. “We tried certain diets, and the pain just continued to be there.”
She’s not alone. Chronic pain in children is a significant public health problem worldwide. Studies show about 30 percent of children and adolescents experience pain that lasts for three months or longer.
Unlike acute pain, which typically comes from an injury, illness or medical procedure, chronic pain in children is more complex. Ranging from abdominal pain to headaches and musculoskeletal pain, it’s persistent, recurrent and doesn’t always have a physical source. Sometimes it’s associated with a long-term illness or continues after an injury has healed. Sometimes the cause just isn’t clear.
Mary Free Bed Kids offers one of the only programs of its kind in Michigan to help patients and families coping with chronic pain in children. The innovative program blends medical and behavioral rehabilitation to significantly improve and manage symptoms – so kids with chronic pain can enjoy being kids.
Last fall, Selena decided to give it a try and asked her doctor for a referral. That’s when she came to Mary Free Bed.
“It’s made my life better,” she said.
Patients are cared for by pediatric physiatrists (doctors who specialize in medical rehabilitation), occupational and physical therapists, and psychologists with expertise in pediatric chronic pain. The team of experts works together to identify what’s contributing to the pain and help the child better manage the symptoms.
“Our big goal is to not only help them feel better,” said physical therapist Erin Spruit. “Maybe their pain doesn’t change, but they’re able to do more things, tolerate different activities, maybe even try things they didn’t think they were going to try.”
In this video, you’ll learn more about Selena’s journey and hear from her Mary Free Bed team.
For more information about the Mary Free Bed Kids Chronic Pain Program, call 616.840.8005 or 800.668.6001. In addition to the main campus in Grand Rapids, the program also is offered at outpatient locations in Holland, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Traverse City, Michigan.
The Mary Free Bed Kids Chronic Pain Program was established by The Steve and Amy Van Andel Foundation.
