Pain is one of our biggest concerns as parents, since the baby is born and can not express us with words if something hurts until they grow up and despite explaining where it hurts them we can not help them. Perhaps the solution to pain, in some cases, is as simple as giving imagination.
A team of scientists from Duke and North Carolina universities in the United States showed that the use of imagination relieves functional gastrointestinal discomforts (those caused without evidence of a disorder) of the smallest.
In this technique, called "guided imagery," a recording of a verbal guide is used so that patients have a specific experience with beneficial effects on their behavior.
An example that stands out in the study shows how the body can respond to what the mind imagines. Haven't you ever salivated thinking about some food?
The work was carried out thanks to the participation of 34 children between 6 and 15 years old who were indicated with conventional treatment for gastrointestinal discomfort for two months. However, 19 of them continued for eight weeks with the technique of guided imagination.
The results show that the technique is between two and three times more effective in reducing pain than classic care, apart from the fact that children loved the experience (and therein lies its success, in my opinion).
While 73% of children assigned to the new therapy recognized that her belly pains had reduced In half, this figure only reached 26% of those who followed conventional therapy.
In addition, the benefits of this technique seem to lengthen over time, and could be beneficial in the long term, as the positive effects persisted in 62% of children at half a year after treatment.
It is certainly very positive news that we hope to continue obtaining more data, because, apart from the fact that a large part of pediatric consultations from 5 years are due to recurrent gastrointestinal discomfort, it is an easy technique to apply in house and with hardly any cost.
Before starting this treatment, parents and children were taught in the clinic how to handle it. But I imagine something quite simple, in the style of "Close your eyes and imagine ...". An exercise of relaxation.
Just with children often listening to CDs, symptoms of gastrointestinal pain improved. Imagination, relaxation and attention, good therapies.
