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Audio-recorded guided imagery treatment reduces functional abdominal pain in children: a pilot study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
van Tilburg, MAL; Chitkara, DK; Palsson, OS; Turner, M; Blois-Martin, N; Ulshen, M; Whitehead, WE
Published in: Pediatrics
November 2009

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to develop and to test a home-based, guided imagery treatment protocol, using audio and video recordings, that is easy for health care professionals and patients to use, is inexpensive, and is applicable to a wide range of health care settings. METHODS: Thirty-four children, 6 to 15 years of age, with a physician diagnosis of functional abdominal pain were assigned randomly to receive 2 months of standard medical care with or without home-based, guided imagery treatment. Children who received only standard medical care initially received guided imagery treatment after 2 months. Children were monitored for 6 months after completion of guided imagery treatment. RESULTS: All treatment materials were reported to be self-explanatory, enjoyable, and easy to understand and to use. The compliance rate was 98.5%. In an intention-to-treat analysis, 63.1% of children in the guided imagery treatment group were treatment responders, compared with 26.7% in the standard medical care-only group (P = .03; number needed to treat: 3). Per-protocol analysis showed similar results (73.3% vs 28.6% responders). When the children in the standard medical care group also received guided imagery treatment, 61.5% became treatment responders. Treatment effects were maintained for 6 months (62.5% responders). CONCLUSION: Guided imagery treatment plus medical care was superior to standard medical care only for the treatment of abdominal pain, and treatment effects were sustained over a long period.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Pediatrics

DOI

EISSN

1098-4275

Publication Date

November 2009

Volume

124

Issue

5

Start / End Page

e890 / e897

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Tape Recording
  • Quality of Life
  • Pediatrics
  • Pain Measurement
  • Male
  • Imagery, Psychotherapy
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Chronic Disease
  • Child
 

Citation

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van Tilburg, M. A. L., Chitkara, D. K., Palsson, O. S., Turner, M., Blois-Martin, N., Ulshen, M., & Whitehead, W. E. (2009). Audio-recorded guided imagery treatment reduces functional abdominal pain in children: a pilot study. Pediatrics, 124(5), e890–e897. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-0028
Tilburg, Miranda A. L. van, Denesh K. Chitkara, Olafur S. Palsson, Marsha Turner, Nanette Blois-Martin, Martin Ulshen, and William E. Whitehead. “Audio-recorded guided imagery treatment reduces functional abdominal pain in children: a pilot study.Pediatrics 124, no. 5 (November 2009): e890–97. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-0028.
van Tilburg MAL, Chitkara DK, Palsson OS, Turner M, Blois-Martin N, Ulshen M, et al. Audio-recorded guided imagery treatment reduces functional abdominal pain in children: a pilot study. Pediatrics. 2009 Nov;124(5):e890–7.
van Tilburg, Miranda A. L., et al. “Audio-recorded guided imagery treatment reduces functional abdominal pain in children: a pilot study.Pediatrics, vol. 124, no. 5, Nov. 2009, pp. e890–97. Pubmed, doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0028.
van Tilburg MAL, Chitkara DK, Palsson OS, Turner M, Blois-Martin N, Ulshen M, Whitehead WE. Audio-recorded guided imagery treatment reduces functional abdominal pain in children: a pilot study. Pediatrics. 2009 Nov;124(5):e890–e897.

Published In

Pediatrics

DOI

EISSN

1098-4275

Publication Date

November 2009

Volume

124

Issue

5

Start / End Page

e890 / e897

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Tape Recording
  • Quality of Life
  • Pediatrics
  • Pain Measurement
  • Male
  • Imagery, Psychotherapy
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Chronic Disease
  • Child