Common Causes of Pain

 

One of the things that we typically forget when we look at kids who have conditions like CP, is that they're first and foremost, children. The issues that happen to them have to be thought about as issues that happen to all children. Sadly, too many professionals assume that if a child has pain, it's because they have cerebral palsy.

A young woman told a story many years ago at the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy about having abdominal pain and seeing doctor after doctor after doctor, who all assumed that because she was in a wheelchair, her pain must be due to her cerebral palsy. Somebody finally realized that she had gallbladder disease, removed her gallbladder, and she's been fine ever since.

Let's remember that kids get toothaches, earaches, sore throats, and belly aches. Those are typical for all kids, including kids with CP. Treat kids like kids. Think about the reasons that a child of that age or stage might be uncomfortable. Then, if it isn't one of those, think about their CP.

"One of the things that we typically forget when we look at kids who have conditions like CP, is that they're first and foremost, children."