How children learn to relate to their bodies while experiencing pain may be just as important as treating their symptoms, according to a new Duke University study.
For the study, researchers investigated interventions for chronic abdominal pain in children. The condition is a leading cause of school absences and can disrupt families’ daily lives. For a significant number of youngsters, pain does more than make them uncomfortable: it teaches them something than can be far more serious – that their own bodies cannot be trusted.
“Children with pain come to see their bodies as something to fear,” said Nancy Lee Zucker, Duke professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the study’s lead author.
“Our treatments show them something else – that their bodies are powerful and understandable. When that shift happens, the trajectory of chronic pain and future mental health difficulties may change.”
The research team studied the impacts of two interventions for pain, both cognitive-behavioral treatments.
One program is Feeling and Body Investigators (FBI), which frames sensitivity to pain as a superpower instead of a weakness. FBI, developed by Zucker, encourages children to approach bodily sensations with curiosity – as information to be explored rather than avoided.
The second approach, Caregivers in Action, helps children focus their attention away from pain and manage symptoms through distraction and coping strategies.
The researchers tested 107 children aged 5 to 9 in a randomized trial. The study reports that both approaches resulted in significant reductions in pain duration and intensity. The interventions also decreased the disruptions pain had on families’ lives.
