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Pain Center

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We are dedicated to improving the quality of lives of children and teens who suffer acute and chronic pain. Pain interferes with recovery from surgery and illness, and affects mood, sleep, school performance and social interactions. We use a variety of approaches to relieve your child’s pain and help them get back to a healthy, active life.

We are one of only a few centers in a 5-state region that addresses a child or teen's physical, psychological and emotional well-being, not just the symptoms of pain. We offer traditional medical pain management, along with complementary therapies, in a supportive, compassionate environment. 

Our team is led by a pediatric anesthesiologist and includes pediatric nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists and pediatric psychologists. Together, we treat:

  • Patients recovering from surgery
  • Children undergoing painful procedures, such as bone marrow aspirations, chest tube insertions, lumbar punctures and other minor procedures
  • Patients with medical conditions that cause pain such as pancreatitis, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, cancer and chronic kidney disease
  • Patients experiencing pain as a result of trauma, a burn or a sports-related injury
  • Patients with mental/behavioral health diagnosis such as depression, eating disorders, and anxiety

We manage pain through a variety of new, innovative medical and complementary treatments, including: 

  • Interventional pain management, including peripheral and neuraxial nerve blocks
  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Ketamine infusions for pediatric populations to treat pain as well as depression
  • Cryoablation for analgesia
  • Sphenopalatine blocks
  • Massotherapy to promote healing by stimulating the body’s natural recuperative powers and provide an alternative to narcotics
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to teach children and adolescents coping strategies that help reduce pain, improve function and reduce stress

Locations

Contact Pain Center

330-543-8503

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Pain Center
Akron Children's Pain Center
Main Hospital Building
214 West Bowery Street
4th floor - Orange Elevator
Akron, Ohio 44308
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Map & directions

Our Doctors/Providers

Department Heads:
Tarun Bhalla
Tarun Bhalla, MD, MBA, FAAP

Chair, Anesthesia & Pain Medicine; Interim Director, Akron Children's Health Collaborative; Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Physicians/Providers:

Cassandra Hoffmann, MD

Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Bradley Riemenschneider, MD

Pediatric Anesthesiologist; Pain Management Specialist

Nurse Practitioners/Physician Assistants:

Heather Clark, MSN, APRN-CNP

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

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Elizabeth Kendrick, APRN-CNP

Clinical Nurse Specialist

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