620: Dr. Abby Gordon: Treating Chronic Pain in Adolescents

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In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Abby Gordon, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS, to discuss treating and managing chronic pain in adolescents. We discuss chronic teenage pain and how it’s often not given the attention it deserves. Dr. Gordon, who works at Seattle Children’s Hospital, explains the types of symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments typically found in teenagers suffering from chronic pain. She speaks about the interdisciplinary team that examines and plans treatments for each patient and the importance of providing peace of mind to families. Finally, Dr. Gordon shares her advice on communicating with families of teenagers.

Show notes:

00:01:06 Treat pain holistically.

00:11:56 Take breaks from activities.

00:12:07 Teach kids to advocate for themselves.

00:20:02 Nutrition is essential for healing.

00:29:36 Mental and physical health connected.

00:30:22 Pain is physical and emotional.

00:39:10 Believe and listen to kids.

More about Dr. Gordon:

Abby Gordon is a Sports Physical Therapist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has served as the Team Physical Therapist for the Seattle Storm for the past eight seasons. She owns a mobile PT practice primarily working with women with chronic pain and body dysmorphia, body dysphoria, and/or disordered eating. She is an APTA Washington Delegate and helped develop her first legislative motion, RC 16-22, the APTA’s Position Statement for Inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community, which the House of Delegates passed last summer. Her blog, “Abby’s World,” is where you can find physical therapy- and women’s basketball-related thoughts.