The Year in Health 2009

Chronic, unexplainable pain is never good, but it's particularly cruel when it strikes kids, who could face a lifetime of suffering. A popular talking cure known as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be able to help. As its name suggests, the treatment teaches kids to accept their pain and proceed with their lives. In a Swedish study, children who underwent ACT for 10 weeks reported less discomfort and a greater ability to participate in school and other activities than kids who had an average of 23 weekly sessions with psychologists, doctors and physical therapists and also took a painkiller. Parents need to help too, by knowing when kids are truly disabled by pain and when they need coaxing to press ahead despite it.