Kids in Pain
1 in 5 kids in Australia lives with chronic pain, which limits their quality of life, their education and their future. It’s time to break the silence on kids in pain.
Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt kids physically.
It steals their smiles, their sleep and their school days.
Kids in pain need answers
Join us for Kids in Pain Week
22 September to 28 September 2025
Finding the right answers starts with asking the right questions. Register for access to all webinars & events.
Register for All Events
Chronic pain, lasting longer than 3 months, affects 1 in 5 children, according to 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 119 studies involving over 1 million children.
Sometimes, there’s an obvious event, injury or medical intervention that marks the onset of pain. Often, though, there’s no obvious cause. A child is absolutely fine – and then they’re not.
Chronic pain, lasting longer than 3 months, affects 1 in 5 children, according to 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 119 studies involving over 1 million children.
Sometimes, there’s an obvious event, injury or medical intervention that marks the onset of pain. Often, though, there’s no obvious cause. A child is absolutely fine – and then they’re not.
Types of chronic pain in kids
- Abdominal pain
- Headaches
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Other pain.
Educational impact
- Kids with chronic pain miss 22% of their schooling – that’s 1 day per week
- This affects educational achievement and friendships.
Long-term outcomes
- Higher risk of chronic pain, opioid use, work absence, academic challenges and mental health issues as adults.
Factsheets for Families, Carers, Teachers & Healthcare Professionals
Download our resources and factsheets below.
Being Your Child’s Voice: A Parent’s Guide to Advocating for Your Child in Healthcare Settings
Designed to empower parents, this resource provides clear steps for advocating in healthcare settings. From preparing for appointments to building the right care team, it gives you the tools to ensure your child is heard, understood, and supported.
Learning Through Pain: A Parent’s Guide to Managing School for Kids in Pain
This guide helps parents navigate the challenges of education when their child lives with chronic pain. It offers practical strategies to support learning, social connections, and wellbeing at school, and explores flexible options like distance or home education.
A Pharmacists Guide to Supporting Kids in Pain
This guide equips pharmacists with practical tools and language strategies to better support children in pain. It covers recognising and responding with empathy, explaining pain through simple analogies, supporting families with daily life strategies, and navigating other complex presentations.
FAQs
Chronic pain in kids can vary tremendously from one child to another. The definition encompasses any pain lasting more than 3 months.
Many factors contribute to the experience of pain, including:
- Biology – the body, including brain function and genetics
- Psychology – mind, mood and stress
- Social – experiences, environment and support systems.
There are countless conditions that could be included such as migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, lower back pain, fibromyalgia or complex regional pain syndrome.
Learn more about chronic neurological pain in kids
It’s impossible to give an exhaustive list of chronic pain conditions in kids – especially since there’s often no obvious cause for their pain.
Many different healthcare professionals play a role in treating kids in chronic pain, including a:
- GP
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational therapist
- Nurse
- Neurologist
- Rheumatologist
- Psychologist.
Chronic pain isn’t restricted to one part of the body. It may involve the immune system, nervous system and endocrine (hormone) system.
That’s why a multidisciplinary approach can be helpful. A team of different healthcare professionals each contributes their expertise to help manage your child’s pain.
Parents in pain
Imagine your child waking up in pain every day for months or years.
- You try your best to help – cuddles, pain medication, heat packs.
- You struggle to get them to school, never sure whether it’s best to go or stay home.
- You take them to doctors, physios and anyone else who might know what to do.
As any parent knows, when your kid is in pain, you are too. Parenting is tough enough already – it becomes extremely difficult when your child lives in chronic pain.
In 2024, we surveyed parents of children with chronic pain about their biggest concerns. They highlighted issues like:
- Finding the effective treatments
- Understanding the cause of the pain
- Coping strategies for their child and their family
- Challenges accessing care
- The widespread impact of chronic pain on many aspects of their child’s life.
Download our guide for parents
Finding the right answers starts with asking the right questions
- a diagnosis (what caused this?)
- a treatment plan (what might help?)
- support (who can help?)
- parental advocacy (what can we do?)
- answers!
Navigating chronic pain in kids starts with accepting its complexity. Chronic pain is influenced by many different factors affecting the body, mind and social environment. Treatment may need to address all relevant factors.
Supporting Kids in Pain (SKiP)
Thanks to the generosity of donors, SKiP provides free community-based multidisciplinary pain management services for children and young people.
Finding the right answers is a question of funding.
Accessing treatment
It costs about $5k to support one child through the a multidisciplinary pain program. Your donation, of any size, can make a difference to a child’s journey.
Resources and advocacy
At Chronic Pain Australia our dedication to providing answers is unquestionable. Help us in our missing to build awareness, drive advocacy and provide resources and connection to families when they need it the most.
Corporate sponsorship
Be a force for good by funding the work needed to improve life for the 1 in 5 kids living with chronic pain.
Upcoming Events
Register for upcoming KIDS IN PAIN events
Online Webinar: The State of Kids in Pain - What We’re Learning in 2025 and Why It Matters with Dr Josh Pate
Monday 22 September / 11am
Join Dr Joshua W. Pate as he provides the first look at the National Kids in Pain Report 2025 results.
REGISTER BELOW TO RECEIVE THE PLAYBACK LINK
Online Webinar: Practical OT Strategies for Kids in Pain: Thriving at Home, School and Beyond
Tuesday 23rd September 2025 / 11am AEST
How can kids with pain not just cope, but thrive? In this session, Michelle O’Sullivan shares practical OT strategies to unlock participation in daily life — from pacing and school adjustments to building independence at home. With real-world examples and family-centred tools, this talk delivers actionable ways to support children to live well with pain.
REGISTER BELOW TO RECEIVE THE PLAYBACK LINK
Online Webinar: Learning Through Pain - Reimagining Education for Kids Living with Chronic Pain
Wednesday 24th September 2025 / 11am AEST
For many children living with chronic pain, mainstream schooling isn’t always sustainable. In this session, Dr Rebecca English explores alternatives to mainstream schooling, such as homeschooling, that offer flexibility, support wellbeing, and helps kids keep learning without adding to their symptoms.
Online Event: Parents & Carers of Kids in Pain Support Group
Thursday 25th September 2025 / 7pm AEST
Caring for a child in pain brings unique challenges that can be overwhelming and isolating. Lead by Melinda Smylie, a Kids in Pain parent ambassador, this supportive group offers a safe space for parents and carers to connect, share experiences, and learn practical strategies for navigating healthcare, school, and daily life.
Paintalks: The Power of Peer Connection for Kids in Pain
Friday 26th September 2025 / 11am AEST
Living with pain can be an isolating experience for young people, but peer connection has the power to change that story. This ‘Paintalks’ session will include Nicolette Ellis (Chair of Chronic Pain Australia) and Skye Deards (Starlight Foundation) and explores how shared experiences, support networks, and friendship can build resilience, reduce stigma, and help kids feel less alone.
Ambassadors
Dr Joshua W. Pate
Dr Josh (Joshua W. Pate, PhD) is a senior physiotherapist
and senior lecturer in pain neuroscience, leading a program
of paediatric research and pain studies with collaborators
all around the world.
He loves sparking ‘Aha!’ moments, and helping kids and their families understand and optimise their health.
Meet Cooper,
a 15-year-old adventurer
Meet Cooper, a 14-year-old adventurer traveling across Australia with his family, Maggie the dog, and his assistance cat, Frankie.
Despite living with chronic pain, Cooper has found his passion in fishing, which he uses as a powerful tool to navigate life’s challenges.
Through his social media profiles and online stories, Cooper shares his exciting fishing adventures, the beautiful places he visits, and the interesting people he meets along the way.
His goal? To raise awareness about chronic pain in children while inspiring others to pursue their passions.
"Find new ways to do what you love. Having a passion is a great way to move forward, even when facing obstacles like chronic pain."
Meet Eliza,
an 18-year-old trailblazer
Meet Eliza, an 18-year-old who’s spent the last five years navigating life with chronic back pain, a challenge that began at 13. Despite the hardships, she’s grown into a thoughtful, considerate, and mature young woman, embracing life’s opportunities with a fresh perspective.
While chronic pain has been part of her journey, it’s not the whole story.
Eliza is grateful for a second chance to take on the world, armed with the strength and wisdom gained from her experience.
"This pain may have shaped my journey, but it hasn’t defined who I am."
Meet Laura,
a 15-year-old dreamer
Laura has been living with Chronic pain for the past 5 years and has learnt to live her best life with chronic pain. Chronic pain can bring unplanned challenges, but Laura has learnt to make the most of the opportunities she has each day and to appreciate the good times with those she loves.
Laura hopes to be able to help others on their journey through pain and one day travel the world.
I choose to focus on the good, make the most of each day, and keep dreaming big.
Sponsors
