This gives the child some time to accept the idea and practice ways to relieve discomfort. Health care professionals can teach you and your child these ways to help reduce pain and anxiety. Also, children are often less anxious if a parent is with them during a procedure. Some of the ways to reduce pain and anxiety without medicines include distraction techniques such as play therapy, story telling, and art therapy. Practicing positions to take during a procedure, relaxation, and self-hypnosis are also techniques that can help children who are undergoing uncomfortable tests.
Older children can learn to relax by listening to music or using self-hypnosis.
Listening to music by using tape players with head phones has been shown to be very effective in distracting and relaxing young patients. If your child is having pain and needs to receive medicine while in school, contact your child's school nurse or teacher. Give them information about the need for the medicine, the schedule for taking the medicine, possible side effects, and who to contact if your child has problems. Arrangements can be made between your child, the teacher and the school nurse so that your child can take pain relievers at the right time without attracting undue attention. A toll free cancer counseling service staffed by trained personnel who can answer your questions about cancer and cancer pain.