Evaluating Chronic Noninflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain in Pediatric Patients

Chronic noninflammatory musculoskeletal pain can be difficult to diagnose in pediatric patients due to the variety of presentations and lack of laboratory or diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis. Chronic noninflammatory musculoskeletal pain is also called amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS), referring to the amplified pain signals causing debilitating pain for pediatric patients with the condition. It is important for clinicians to evaluate for AMPS in all pediatric patients presenting with chronic musculoskeletal pain without an identifiable cause. Early identification of AMPS in children can lead to a decrease in medicalization of these patients and will allow patients to receive appropriate multidisciplinary treatment to increase functional abilities and decrease pain. The best treatment for AMPS pain is a multidisciplinary approach including psychological and physical therapies to treat the abnormal pain signaling while providing beneficial coping skills and addressing psychological symptoms