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Research has shown that significant early pain experiences can have a big effect on the developing nervous system: 1) it may cause children to become more sensitive to pain, and 2) may contribute to the development of chronic pain later in life.

For these reasons, our goal at Whole Child LA is to treat pain, not only to reduce suffering and enhance our children's ability to go to school and carry out normal childhood activities, but also to reduce their risk for  developing chronic pain as adults.

In most cases of chronic pain, treatment is aimed at helping the body’s natural pain control system to start working effectively again. We take a “systems” approach to understanding and treating childhood pain by offering many 'evidence-based' and different types of clinical services delivered via an integrated and coordinated care team. 

Below are the different services that we offer, in any combination, depending upon the needs of the child.

Acupuncture

Use of needles, pressure, or other stimulation modalities at specific points along the body to increase the body’s internal sense of balance. It is a wonderful way to balance the body and experience a fully relaxed state.

Art Therapy

An interactive therapeutic process that uses art to help children with pain to take control, help foster separation and strengthen their sense of self. Through their pictures, sculptures, collages and paintings, children express and project their inner images and learn about themselves.

Biofeedback

This therapy utilizes relaxation techniques with non-invasive equipment that provides feedback about the body to learn how to reduce tension and pain.

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Craniosacral Therapy

CT is a light-touch, manual therapy that relieves stress, creates deep central relaxation, relieves pain, and improves body function by releasing tensions and restrictions throughout the body, restoring movement, circulation, balance and ease, creating an internal healing environment.

Hypnotherapy

This therapy helps patients learn how to use and enhance his/her own imagination so that central pain circuits become disrupted and reprogrammed to help reduce and turn off pain. The goal is to help the patient to heal and stay well.

Iyengar Yoga

This form of yoga trains patients in special therapeutic yoga postures and breathing practices to reduce pain and stress and promote optimal healing. The use of props allows students of all abilities and at every level to benefit without injury or fatigue.

Mindful Awareness/Meditation

The goal of mindfulness meditation is to help you learn how to be “present” and “in the moment.” So many of us are worried about what we did, what happened, what we have to do, or what will happen, that we spend much of our lives not enjoying or appreciating the present moment, being alive, and being with people we love. Learning mindfulness meditation helps us do this. Trudy Goodman, a psychotherapist trained in Zen and Vipassana (Insight) meditation and founder of Insight LA (and Dr. Zeltzer’s meditation teacher) describes meditation. When she talks about “mindfulness,” she is referring to what happens to you in your daily life when you learn this type of meditation.

Music Therapy

Music therapy sessions emphasize learning breathing and vocalizing techniques for relaxation; improvisation, songwriting and music recording for self expression; and guided imagery with music. No music experience is necessary.

Physical Therapy

PT involves the assessment/management of movement dysfunction. It is the physical therapist’s job to analyze the entire neurological, muscular and skeletal systems in order to provide the most effective treatment for movement dysfunction and pain.

Psychological Therapies

Individual child, family, parent, or couples therapies help patients/couples/families create balance between attachment and freedom to explore possibilities and opportunities by teaching problem solving and relationship skills, mindfulness and relaxation, and help people clarify their goals and take the necessary steps to realize them. Patients are helped with any individual or family issues that either contribute to or exacerbate pain, and patients are helped to develop strategies to function again socially, at home and at school. Patients develop strategies and coping skills to decrease pain and increase a sense of control, improve function, manage psychological distress, improve quality of life, and integrate the mind-body connection within the context of our multidisciplinary pain team approach.

Psychopharmacology

This service is conducted by a child and adolescent psychiatrist who fine-tunes the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain and nervous system, many of which are involved in pain systems. Planned medication early provides a buffer so that the body can heal.