
Carla Friesen ~ Chronic Pain Co ©2021
- Dec 29, 2020
- 4 min
Do you Know about Caregiver Burnout?
Have you heard of caregiver fatigue or caregiver burnout? As parents, we probably all experience it to some degree, but when we are parenting a child with chronic pain it can happen more frequently and more intensely.
We would do anything to help our child get better. We feel so deeply for them and the whole household can be affected by how your one child is doing each day. Sadness is a pretty common emotion for us parents of kids with chronic pain. But sometimes it can


Carla Friesen ~ Chronic Pain Co ©2021
- Dec 23, 2020
- 2 min
Lessons From a Scared Kitten (Part 2)
This little kitty we have (“Baby”) is teaching me lots about the nervous system. If you didn’t read my first post about our kitten, you can read it in Part 1. Baby has become very playful and confident since spending most of her time in one room (the whole house was too big and scary for her at first). Since being in one room she is far more interactive with us, comes to us for cuddles, and doesn’t get scared when our hands come towards her to pet her or pick her up. So, we


Carla Friesen ~ Chronic Pain Co ©2021
- Dec 16, 2020
- 2 min
Have you Noticed that Emotions can Amplify Pain?
I usually talk about my daughter Greta because she is the one with prominent chronic pain; however, today I will start out talking about Oliver. He is 16. Last week Oli and I we were talking about jobs he could apply for. His last job was as a server at a retirement home and, while he like it in some ways, he often felt anxious there and his back hurt from being on his feet carrying heavy things back and forth. He has an old trampoline injury to his back that flares up someti


Carla Friesen ~ Chronic Pain Co ©2021
- Dec 9, 2020
- 2 min
Is your Child with Chronic Pain Highly Sensitive?
A highly sensitive person is someone who often experiences things more intensely than others do. Sounds, lights, music, emotions, stress, pain... Perhaps your child was a highly sensitive person before they had pain. Or maybe not. This high sensitivity often has to do with a nervous system that easily flips into fight or flight syndrome. Our children with chronic pain can often be on high alert. And easily overwhelmed. When our pain flares, even Candy Crush can get too o


Carla Friesen ~ Chronic Pain Co ©2021
- Dec 6, 2020
- 2 min
Lessons from a Scared Kitten (Part 1)
We got a new kitty for Greta on Saturday. Greta gave her the name Baby. She is 7.5 weeks old and absolutely adorable. But she is scared. All these giants are walking around her and there are loud noises and strange smells. She is on high alert at all times. She explores the house when no one is there but as soon as one of us enters the room she darts for the nearest hiding spot. It reminds me of Greta’s nervous system. On high alert and terrified of any extreme stimul

Carla Friesen ~ Chronic Pain Co ©2021
- Dec 2, 2020
- 2 min
Who's in Charge?
“The best way to reduce a pain problem is to help your child learn ways to function (such as participating in school, doing homework and chores, and engaging and physical and social activities as much as possible) even while she is in pain. If a child can function even while she is in pain, she will feel in control of the pain. Feeling in control can and will reduce your child’s nervous system arousal and thus the actual amount or volume of the pain.” (from “Conquering Your C