You and your child will report to the 4th floor of Children’s Health℠ Specialty Center Dallas Campus, formerly the Ambulatory Care Pavilion Dallas, (2350 North Stemmons Freeway, Suite 5200). You will be checked in at the Pediatric Pain Management Center's front desk to sign in and complete insurance information.
A medical assistant will take your child's weight, and blood pressure (vital signs). The Pediatric Pain Management Center is a multidisciplinary clinic. During your child's first visit, your child will be seen by a pain management doctor, a physical therapist and a psychologist. Each discipline will visit with you and your child for one hour.
We understand that pain affects many aspects of life. We want to care for the child as a whole, including the physical, mental and emotional aspects. We also understand that pain affects not only the child, but also the whole family. The psychologist will develop a coping plan and implement behavioral medicine techniques that may be extremely effective in controlling pain and reducing the stress caused by the pain.
Our physical therapist assesses the effect of pain on the body's strength, movement, and posture. She will evaluate what exercises will help restore the body to optimal function. Physical therapy is often more effective than medications and injections to relieve a number of painful conditions.
The pain physician has training and experience in assessing and treating pain in children. The physician is responsible for the patients' overall plan of care. He may prescribe medication or perform nerve block injections or other procedures if needed.
After the initial evaluations by each team member are completed, you and your child can have lunch. You and your child should return to the clinic at the time stated by the team. When you return to the clinic, all team members will meet with you to discuss the results of their visits and give their suggestions for treatment. Treatments may be given by all three groups or may only be given by one member, based upon the cause of the child's pain, or his or her physical and emotion conditions.
At the end of the visit, appointments will be made for follow-up visits within three months, or if a procedure is necessary, you will speak with a coordinator to schedule.