How to Care for Acute (Short-Term) Pain for Children
All children have pain at some point in their lives. Sometimes, it’s because of medical procedures or surgery but often it’s from falls and injuries. Untreated pain can have short and long-term effects for children, including slower healing and developing fears and phobias about needles and healthcare.
Acute pain is short-term pain that starts quickly. How long the pain lasts will depend on the type of injury or procedure. Sometimes acute pain is caused by an injury, such as a cut or broken bone, or an illness, such as a sore throat or an ear infection.
Acute pain can also happen when your child has a medical procedure or test, such as getting a vaccine, having blood taken, or getting stitches. It can also happen after surgery.
You can learn more about acute pain here.
Pain after injury or surgery
Pain is part of the normal healing process after injury or surgery and can protect your child from over-using or further hurting an injured part of their body. The first few days after an injury are usually the worst. Your child’s pain should get better a little each day. After a broken bone or sprain the pain is almost completely gone after one week. If your child’s pain is after surgery, the time it takes to have no pain will depend on the type of surgery.
Managing your child’s acute pain
When your child’s pain is managed well, getting back to usual activities will be easier. It’s normal to have some pain after an injury or surgery. It’s important to notice whether the pain is something your child can handle and still move around with, or if it’s too much and they need help to feel better.
Watch your baby or child for signs that they are in pain such as your baby being difficult to settle, not sleeping, squirming or whining, or your child not eating.
Manageable pain means that your child can:
- move well or get up and walk around
- sleep without being woken from pain
- participate in some of their regular activities
- take part in special recovery activities (physiotherapy)
How can I manage my baby or child’s acute pain?
There are 3 different ways (the 3Ps) that acute pain in children is usually managed:
- Physically using ways to help the body.
- Psychologically using ways to help the mind.
- Pharmacologically using medicines.
The best way to help your child with acute pain is choosing more than one way at the same time.
Physical ways to help with pain
- Temperature: Use an ice or heat pack on the area that is painful. Test the temperature on an area of skin that’s not in pain to make sure that it’s not too hot or too cold as that might cause more injury or pain. Place a thin cloth between the hot or cold pack and the skin. Do not leave a hot or cold pack in place longer than 10-20 minutes at a time.
- Changing positions: Get your child to change positions to help settle the pain; this could be simply turning onto their side or sitting up more.
- Splint: Sometimes, a sling or support sleeve can help a sore body part feel less painful after an injury or surgery.
- Swaddling (best used with babies): This is where pain can be settled by wrapping the child snuggly (not too tight or too loose) in a blanket.
- Breastfeeding: Breastfeed or let your baby/toddler suck a pacifier. The sucking motion, warm milk and closeness gives comfort.
Psychological ways to help with pain
- Distraction: You can relieve your child’s pain by focusing their mind on something other than the pain itself. Some ideas to try include blowing bubbles, playing music, reading a book to your child, singing, swinging in an infant swing chair, doing puzzles, crafts or hobbies.
Pharmacy - using medicines to help with pain
- Prescription medicine: It’s important that your child takes all the medicine that their team told them to use and to follow the directions that come with them. Some children struggle to take medicine. Here are some helpful tips when trying to help a child take medicine.
- Medicines without a prescription: Over-the-counter medicines are medicines you can buy without a doctor’s prescription. They can be very helpful with acute pain for a short time while also helping with fever, swelling, and general aches.
Non-opioid pain medicines
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra) is a medicine that’s safe to give infants through to adulthood. These medications are not habit forming and work to reduce pain and fever.
Do not give these to your baby or child if they have an allergy or sensitivity to this medicine.
Common side effects can include:
- nausea or vomiting
- headache
- insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), or ketorolac (Toradol) should be used only once the child is 3 months or older. These medicines are not habit forming, do not contain steroids, and help to lower swelling, inflammation, and pain. Ibuprofen is the best choice for pain caused by sprains, strains, and broken bones.
Do not give these to your baby or child if they have an allergy or sensitivity to this medicine.
Do not take more than one NSAID at a time - choose only one from the list provided. If your child has, or you think your child might have, a medical condition that makes NSAIDs unsafe, speak with your pharmacist to explore safer options.
Common side effect:
Opioid medicines
Acute pain after injury or surgery is common but not treating it can lead to chronic pain (pain that lasts for a long time). Your child’s medical team may decide that your child’s pain will be helped by taking opioid medicine to heal from their injury or surgery. Learn more about using opioids for pain in children.
Opioids may be used to help reduce your child’s moderate to very severe pain but may not take it away completely. Try using other ways to help your child along with medicines. Opioids are usually used for less than a week after an injury/procedure at the lowest does possible.
If the opioid medicine already contains acetaminophen (combination medicine like Percocet), don't take another dose of acetaminophen.
Common side effects may include:
- nausea or vomiting
- headache
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- itchiness
- constipation
If the nausea is bothering your child, talk to your pharmacist. An over the counter (Gravol) or prescribed anti-vomiting medicine (Zofran) might help with nausea or vomiting. Constipation (not able to have a bowel movement) can get better by drinking lots of water and moving around (walking), if possible. Otherwise talk to your pharmacist as over the counter medicines like Restoralax or Lax-A-Day can help treat constipation.
Serious side effects: If your child has difficulty breathing, get medical help right away. If they have very slow or shallow breaths, call 911.
Learn about care instructions for how to use, store and dispose of opioids.
Tips for opioid safety:
- Lower the risk of creating a habit (addiction) by taking opioid pain medicine only when needed.
- Never give your child more medicine than is prescribed.
- Never share opioids with anyone else.
- Let your healthcare provider know if you, your child, or other family members have a history of substance use.
To see this information online and learn more, visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca/health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=custom.ab_pain_acute_management_child_inst.
For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information call Health Link at 811.
Current as of: November 04, 2025
Author: Solutions for Kids in Pain, Alberta Health
This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.
