For children & adults who don't respond to relaxation or distraction, application of light touch, cold, or vibration can override the body’s pain center, making shots feel less painful.
If only it were just about pain. I believe it’s more about the trauma of being held down by your parent, who you trust, or a couple of adult strangers — restrained against your will “because it’s good for you” — and then injected with something that hurts and yes, does, in fact make you feel icky for a day or more. You may even have pain and swelling at the injection site for days. Then you get the platitudes, such as, “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Here’s a sucker and a sticker.”
Absolutely! I'm totally in favor of doing anything we can to make these less traumatic-and be more realistic about side effects. I still firmly believe the benefit outweighs the cost, but we can all do more to be honest and compassionate to our patients!
If only it were just about pain. I believe it’s more about the trauma of being held down by your parent, who you trust, or a couple of adult strangers — restrained against your will “because it’s good for you” — and then injected with something that hurts and yes, does, in fact make you feel icky for a day or more. You may even have pain and swelling at the injection site for days. Then you get the platitudes, such as, “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Here’s a sucker and a sticker.”
Absolutely! I'm totally in favor of doing anything we can to make these less traumatic-and be more realistic about side effects. I still firmly believe the benefit outweighs the cost, but we can all do more to be honest and compassionate to our patients!