We are developing Pain Navigator to support children and young people with musculoskeletal pain, and the adults around them. The resources on this page have been shaped through project work, research, and feedback from young people, families, and healthcare professionals.

This area is designed to give healthcare professionals simple, practical resources that can be shared with patients during or after consultation.

We will continue to add to this section as the project develops.

Simple Pain Journal

A simple pain journal can help children and young people notice patterns in their pain and make it easier to talk about with a healthcare professional.

It should feel helpful, not like homework. They do not need to write everything down, just whatever feels useful.

What they could write down

When was it: What day and time did the pain happen?

Where was the pain? For example: knee, back, neck, arm, ankle.

How sore was it? You could rate it from 0 to 10.

What did it feel like? For example: aching, sharp, throbbing, tight, or burning.

What were you doing? What was happening when the pain started or got worse?

Did anything help? For example: rest, movement, stretching, heat, medicine, or distraction.

How did you feel? You could write down how it affected your mood, energy, or how you were feeling that day.

Food or drink (if helpful) Anything you ate or drank that you think might have made a difference.

Anything else? Anything important you noticed or were worried about.

This could be written in a notebook, on paper, or in any way that works for the child or young person.

Get Involved!

We would also love to hear from healthcare professionals who would like to help shape Pain Navigator. Your feedback can help us make sure these resources are useful, relevant, and practical in real clinical settings. or if you want to take part in the evaluation study

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