COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE PAIN SYMPTOMS IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Pain management is a critical aspect of patient care, and has become a nationwide standard of care. Pediatric patients specifically suffer from undertreated pain due to an inability to properly manage their pain experiences which can have negative developmental consequences. Patients and parents frequently cite ineffective pain management as a primary source of dissatisfaction in pediatric patient care, and there has been a shift to treat pediatric pain from a comfort management approach. This study examined the physiological and psychological outcomes of two fast-acting non-pharmacological interventions designed to provide comfort management to pediatric patients undergoing needle stick procedures. Two experiments were conducted using a two-group randomized controlled clinical design, each with a sample size of forty participants between the ages of eight and 18 years. The physiological and psychological outcomes of a binaural beats intervention, and a mindfulness meditation intervention were compared with standard of care treatment during the needle sticks. Treatment Group participants in both experiments demonstrated clinically less physiological stress, psychological anxiety, and pain compared with the Control Groups, demonstrated by an effect size of 0.3 or higher. Furthermore, Treatment Group participants who practiced mindfulness meditation showed a statically significant decrease in heart rate compared to Control Group participants, p=0.02. These findings support the use of fast-acting non-pharmacological interventions with pediatric patients receiving needle sticks.