Vi Riddell Children’s Pain & Rehabilitation Centre

Did you know that globally, 1 in 5 children have chronic pain, with no hope in sight of reducing this prevalence using current practices?

Vi Riddell Centre researchers have shown chronic pain is disproportionately experienced by marginalized and minoritized children, including those with neurodevelopmental disabilities, who face substantially more barriers to accessing pain resources and care. To make things worse, the growing epidemic of pediatric chronic pain is integrally tied to the child mental health crisis.

Researchers at the Vi Riddell Children’s Pain & Rehabilitation Centre aim to address these disparities and facilitate health system changes to improve care for three populations who are excessively impacted by pain, yet face the greatest barriers to accessing quality, equitable pain care. These groups include:

  1. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and complex medical needs: Young people with neurodevelopmental disorders experience higher rates of acute and chronic pain. 50-75% of youth with cerebral palsy experience chronic pain. Meanwhile, youth with severe cognitive disabilities experience weekly averages of nine hours of pain. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities are currently not seen within pediatric chronic pain programs and cannot access chronic pain care.
  2. Young people facing mental health issues: Children and youth with chronic pain are two to three times more likely to have anxiety and depression than their peers. They are at increased risk of having their pain dismissed, stigmatized, and overlooked by others, with existing pain and mental health care pathways siloed and unable to meet their needs. If pain is left untreated, it can lead to serious mental health issues including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and opioid misuse well into adulthood.
  3. Youth seeking help within primary care settings: Four out of five young people dealing with chronic pain in Alberta rely on their family doctors or are without consistent medical management. By the time children reach specialty pain care in hospital — which only one in five do — they have typically experienced chronic pain for four years. This is because primary care physicians may spend years searching for a diagnosis before treating the pain itself.

With your help, the Vi Riddell Children’s Pain & Rehabilitation Centre will ensure every child has equitable, consistent access to quality, family-centered pain care — resulting in improved quality of life for children and their families. For more information, please email us!