Nonpharmacological Interventions for Pain Relief in School age Children

Abstract

The objective of the current narrative review was to analyse recent publications that examined the effectiveness of non-pharmacological approaches for pain management during invasive procedures in school-aged children. This review was conducted by selecting scholarly papers indexed in well-established databases. Thirteen empirical articles were analysed. Twelve were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and one was a quasi-experimental study. All studies reviewed applied at least one psychological intervention, including digital technology and non-digital technology interventions. Psychological interventions performed by parents or professionals resulted in a reduction in child pain during various painful procedures. However, the current results demonstrate that the efficiency of psychological pain management interventions is not currently empirically demonstratable, emphasising the need for further evaluation to develop well-established psychological methods for pain management.