Pediatric Pain Management Program at the IWK Health Centre
About Our Service
The Pediatric Pain Management Program works in collaboration with pediatricians, surgeons, and family doctors to manage children’s pain after surgery or injury, and pain caused by cancer, infections, arthritis, or other illnesses. We also help children with complex or chronic pain, which is pain that continues even after an injury has healed or when there is no obvious disease. We use a multidisciplinary team approach to control pain with both medication and non-drug techniques.Our team provides care for inpatients (Acute Pain Service) as well as outpatients (Complex Pain Clinic).
Who We Help
We are available to help any child in the Maritime Provinces whose pain is not adequately controlled.
How We Help
Children who are patients in hospital are seen by the consultation team at the request of the primary pediatrician or surgeon. We can provide a range of pain treatment techniques, including medications by mouth or intravenous infusion, epidural or nerve block, and patient-controlled analgesia. We also assist with pain assessment in children who have difficulty expressing or explaining their own feelings.
The Pediatric Complex Pain Clinic treats outpatients with chronic pain. Assessments and treatment are provided by a team including a physician, a clinical nurse specialist, a clinical psychologist, and a physiotherapist. Treatment often includes a combination of physical treatment and exercise, cognitive-behavioural techniques such as relaxation and imagery, and medications. The child and family are important members of the pain management team.
Our Team
Dr. Allen Finley (Anesthesiologist, Medical Director)
Dr. Stuart Wright (Anesthesiologist, Complex Pain)
Lori Campbell, RN MN (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
Shelley Lowther, RN MN (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
Dr. Jill Chorney, PhD R.Psych (Clinical Psychologist)
Dr. Ayala Gorodzinsky, PhD R.Psych (Clinical Psychologist)
Michael Sangster, BSc(PT) MBA (Physiotherapist)
Dr. Allison Gray (Anesthesiologist, Acute Pain Service)
Dr. Thomas Hackmann (Anesthesiologist, Acute Pain Service)
Dr. Brian MacManus (Anesthesiologist, Acute Pain Service)
Dr. Sally Bird (Anesthesiologist, Acute Pain Service)
Patricia Evans (Administrative Assistant)
How to Reach Us
To confirm an appointment with the Pediatric Complex Pain Clinic, please call (902) 470-6802
Consultation by the Acute Pain Service can be arranged by calling the Clinical Nurse Specialist at (902) 470-8769, or by paging the Pain Physician on-call. Out-patient consultation requests for the Pediatric Complex Pain Clinic can be arranged by referral from your family doctor or other physician, and should be faxed to Lori Campbell or Shelley Lowther at (902) 470-7911.
