Depending upon the joint involved, pain can reroute your child’s body mechanics in a variety of ways. A child with neck pain may be unable to look up, while another child with elbow or wrist pain may position joints differently, making it harder or even impossible – over time – to fully straighten them.
The solutions may be just as varied and include splints, therapeutic exercises or more informal daily modifications. Here's a head-to-toe guide to easing joint pain:
Neck
A Child with neck pain may struggle to look up or turn her head sideways. She’ll compensate by moving her shoulders or entire body rather than twisting their neck. Quite often, the surrounding muscles will hurt as much as the joints themselves.
Solutions: Place moist heat on her muscles to help them relax. Sleeping with a cervical pillow – or no pillow at all – also helps to alleviate neck pain. If she has a TV in her room, elevate it to encourage motion in the neck. Range-of-motion exercises also can help prevent loss of motion and decrease pain.
Jaw
The mandible joint can be a frequent source of discomfort, making it painful to bite into a thick sandwich or an apple. Jaw pain is common on the side of the face or just in front of the ear.
Solutions: When your child experiences jaw pain, serve softer foods that require less force to eat, cut food into small bites and avoid chewing gum. Consult your child’s physical therapist about exercises that may relieve pain.
Elbow
A child with elbow pain is more likely to keep the joint bent, holding it close to the body. It’s important to encourage her to straighten her elbow, as she may eventually lose the ability to do so if she continues to hold it in a protective position. Over time, holding any joint in a bent position may cause the muscles on that side to shorten.
Solutions: Try activities and exercises that encourage straightening, such as pushing away light objects or “pushing” pretend objects up to the ceiling.
Wrist
A child with wrist pain typically holds her wrist curled in her lap. Raising it or making a fist becomes problematic.
Solutions: Therapists work on strengthening the muscles on the back and side of the arm. Splints are commonly used. A functional wrist splint may help your child perform daily tasks with less pain. Resting splints at night provide extra support and prevent deformity.
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