Home
Bupa members

Support and offers for individual members and customers

Reducing stomach pain is child's play

14 October 2009

This is an interesting study and adds to previous research showing that behavioural therapy alongside standard medical care can reduce pain and improve quality of life.

Dr Paula Franklin, director of healthcare development, Bupa

Children can use their imagination to reduce stomach pain, according to researchers in the US.

The research, published this week in the journal Paediatrics, looked at 34 children aged six to 15 who had been diagnosed with stomach pain. The children were separated into two groups: half listened to guided imagery CDs at home; the rest received two months of standard medical treatment for stomach pain.

They found that nearly three out of four of the children who listened to the guided imagery CDs had less stomach pain compared with only one in four of those who received conventional medical care. Guided imagery treatment was also found to improve their quality of life and reduce the number of visits they needed to make to the doctor.

Dr Paula Franklin, director of healthcare development for Bupa said: "This is an interesting study and adds to previous research showing that behavioural therapy alongside standard medical care can reduce pain and improve quality of life."

However, Dr Franklin warns that more research is needed to confirm these findings: "This research was carried out on only 34 children. A much larger sample size is needed to be sure that the findings weren't purely down to chance, but were a direct result of the children having received the guided imagery treatment."

Dr Franklin went on to give this advice: "If your child has stomach pain and you are concerned, it's important that you visit his or her GP."

Key facts
  • Guided imagery is a technique that involves imagining situations and encouraging relaxation.
  • The children listened to guided imagery CDs at home on more than five days per week for two months.
  • Each CD included imagery and suggestions for reducing stomach pain.
  • The children were asked to imagine a number of situations including:
    - floating comfortably on a big puffy cloud
    - a special object melting into the hand like butter
    - light and warmth spreading through their stomach

Related information

Read the study

van-Tilburg M, Chitkara D, Palsson O, et al. Audio-Recorded Guided Imagery Treatment Reduces Functional Abdominal Pain in Children: A Pilot Study. Pediatrics 2009; 124(5):e890-897 doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0028

Back to the latest health news

 

Bupa health insurance

Bupa health checks