The aim of the study was to determine whether children with chronic benign
pain are in contact with their general practitioner (GP) more frequently
than those without chronic benign pain. A random sample of children and
adolescents aged between 0 and 18 years of age was drawn from the records
of ten general practices. According to their responses to a pain
questionnaire, subjects were assigned to the chronic benign pain group (n
= 95) if they had pain of more than three months' duration, or to the
control group (n = 105) if they had pain of less than three months'
duration or no pain at all. All the subjects had an average GP
consultation rate of 2.6 contacts per year. No significant age and sex
differences were found. Chronic benign pain in childhood and adolescence
is not related to increased use of healthcare services, suggesting that
somatisation does not play a major role in children with chronic benign
pain