Frustrating reality for kids in chronic pain

CHRONIC pain impacts one in five children in Australia, taking a substantial toll on what they can do in their day-to-day lives.

Although the statistics around chronic pain are high, there is often no obvious cause or injury, making problems difficult to diagnose.

Barwon Heads’ Alex Hutchins was 11 years old when he started experiencing inexplicable pain in his leg. Although he searched for answers, he was left without a cause.

Despite the severe pain, the now 18-year-old pushed through for years, trying to participate in life like everyone else, including in sports and at school.

Once he turned 15, the pain got significantly worse, limiting how much he could move. He was eventually taken for a CT scan, which showed stress fractures across his spine.

“Many times I was dismissed for looking too healthy or told it must be acute pain or given an acute diagnosis that made no sense,” he said.

In June last year, Alex was referred for a spine fusion. It fixed the fractures, but worsened the pain.

“I went from attending school each day to being unable to sit for more than 10 minutes,” he said.

“Through recovery and the last year my pain has progressively worsened. I haven’t been able to go to school at all and now study from home with reduced load.”

Alex has found his experience with chronic pain to be frustrating, fighting hard to be believed and advocating for himself to be heard.

He encouraged others to ensure they listen to children when they express they are in pain.

“Kids are so vulnerable because you don’t know what’s normal.

“My pain started at 11 and I knew I wasn’t mean to be in pain, but it’s very easy to be dismissed.”

Kids in Pain Week, an annual campaign aiming to break the silence surrounding chronic pain in children and highlight the significant impact it has on young people and their families, will run until this Sunday, September 28.

For more information, head to chronicpainaustralia.org.au