As a parent, it is only natural that you always try to protect your child from injury and pain. But the truth is, no matter how hard you try, your child is still at risk of falling and getting hurt. Most importantly, teach children how to get back up by learning to deal with the pain. Most likely this pain is caused by muscle pain. Through this article, we will describe some tips that you can do when your child is injured and in pain.
When a child comes and complains of pain, you must check the pain to find out the right treatment. Some children may not be able to verbally express pain. You should be careful to watch for changes in their behavior, such as frowning or grinding their teeth. Some children may curl up or refuse to eat. If you see signs like these, the child may be in pain.
You can ask them to rate their own pain on a scale of 1 to 10. This step can tell you about the child's level of pain and its management. The first thing you can do is identify the source of the pain. This may be difficult if the child is still not communicating fluently. Look for other signs or symptoms related to muscle pain, such as fever, injury, or changes in the child's activity or behavior. By knowing the cause, you can treat muscle pain by treating the cause first.
To treat pain in children, you can use non-drug methods such as the following:
- Distract children. Children's attention is usually easily distracted. Play their favorite tv show or video to help them get over the pain. You can also try reading a book or giving him his favorite toy. This step usually works for mild cases of pain.
- Cold compress. When your child has muscle pain, you can give him a cold compress or a towel wrapped in ice cubes. To make sure your child doesn't have frostbite, limit each session to about 20 minutes a day, as much as needed.
- Warm compress. Once the pain and muscle spasms have subsided, you can apply a warm compress to increase blood flow and speed up the healing process.
- Muscle stretch. Do light muscle stretching exercises to prevent the cramps from coming back. This exercise is also useful for training children's muscles that are rarely used.
- Massage. Massage can improve blood flow, relieve pain, and relax tense muscles.
- Neck collar or back brace. These tools can provide support and allow the muscles to relax.
When non-medicinal methods don't work, you can try several medications to ease the pain. Your doctor or pharmacist may recommend paracetamol (Tylenol® or Panadol®) or ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrion®).
Keep monitoring the child's condition after treatment. Tell your doctor right away if the pain gets worse and medications and physical and psychological treatment do not help reduce the pain.
Talk to your doctor about your concerns about your child's condition. For more serious cases, immediately take the child to the nearest emergency medical facility. The medical team can provide the right treatment according to your child's needs.
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