Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Center

The Mayo Clinic Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Center (PPRC) helps youth with chronic pain and other chronic symptoms such as orthostatic intolerance, fatigue, dizziness and nausea return to a more active lifestyle.

These Rochester, Minnesota-based programs use a rehabilitation approach that incorporates physical, cognitive-behavioral and occupational therapies. These can help youth with high-impact chronic pain and symptoms return to valued activities such as school, extracurricular activities, family activities and hobbies.

Those over age 22 should seek appointments with Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehabilitation Center for adults, which operates on the Arizona, Florida and Minnesota campuses.

PPRC essentials

The PPRC is located at Mayo Clinic's Rochester, Minnesota, campus and includes three programs. The 17-day program is focused on functional restoration from chronic pain, autonomic disorders, functional disorders, and other symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The two-day program teaches the core concepts of chronic pain rehabilitation. The Child and Adolescent Meal Program (ChAMP) is a seven-day program that's focused on increasing eating and nutrition.

• The age range is 13 to 22 for the pain and chronic symptom programs and 12 to 19 for the ChAMP program.
• A parent is required to attend the program with their youth.

We treat much more than pain

Young people come to Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Center with many different types of chronic pain and conditions. Examples include:

• Abdominal pain.
• Central sensitivity syndromes.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Chronic nausea and vomiting.
• Complex regional pain syndrome.
• Functional symptoms.
• Generalized pain or pain in multiple areas.
• Headaches, including migraines.
• Musculoskeletal pain.
• Nerve (neuropathic) pain.
• Nonepileptic spells.
• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and other autonomic disorders.
• Weight loss or low weight due to avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Our three separate PPRC programs share several features in common:

• Young people may be referred to a program by their provider, or they may make appointments directly (sometimes known as self-referring).
• During an evaluation before any program, PPRC staff recommend the specific program that is most likely to meet the young person's goals.
• Patients sometimes complete two programs (for example, the three-week PPRC program and ChAMP).
• Note that at least one parent is required to accompany their child to any PPRC program.

Top rankings regionally and nationally

• Top regional ranking. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023-2024 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.
• National excellence. Mayo Clinic Children's Center is nationally ranked by U.S. News in most pediatric specialties that are evaluated. This means that our Children's Center provides excellent care for the sickest and most complex patients.

• ANCC Magnet Recognition. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awards Magnet recognition for excellence in nursing. Magnet status is considered the gold standard that demonstrates a commitment to quality, safety and improvement, teamwork, evidence-based practice and research, and formal nursing education. The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program awards this status to healthcare organizations that show transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, and innovations and improvements in nursing practice.

PPRC featured programs

PPRC three-week pain rehabilitation program

Adolescents and young adults learn to address challenges caused by any type of chronic pain or symptom that interferes with daily life and results in significant declines in health, physical and emotional functioning.

The three-week program includes an integrated team of healthcare professionals including pediatric medicine, rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, biofeedback and nursing. It features eight core components.

Learn more about the three-week program.

PPRC two-day pediatric pain rehabilitation program

The two-day pediatric pain rehabilitation program at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota provides education for adolescents and young adults about chronic pain and symptoms. The program includes an overview of self-management skills necessary for improving pain and symptoms.

Medication management and physical reconditioning are not included in this brief intervention.

Candidates for the two-day program typically have significant chronic pain but are still attending school most days. Because this program focuses on chronic pain, fatigue and autonomic symptoms, young people with functional symptoms (physical symptoms without an obvious physical cause) are not recommended for this program. Instead, we should discuss whether the 17-day program would be beneficial.

PPRC Child Adolescent Meal Program (ChAMP)

The Child Adolescent Meal Program (ChAMP) is a seven-day, intensive program for adolescents with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) or youth who are unable to eat enough volume or variety due to low appetite, pain, nausea or sensory sensitivities.

The program is designed to give youth and their parents the skills to help expand the volume and variety of food children and adolescents are eating.

Learn more about the ChAMP program.