Hacking Your ADHD - Research Recap with Skye: Childhood Pain and ADHD

Host: William Curb
Guest: Skye Waterson
Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of the "Research Recap" series, William Curb and Skye Waterson deep-dive into a large-scale research study examining whether kids who are later diagnosed with ADHD have higher rates of pain-related medical visits before their diagnosis. The conversation unpacks the study's findings, discusses the complex relationship between pain and ADHD, and reflects on the implications for parents, practitioners, and those living with ADHD.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Study Design and Scope

• Topic: Childhood pain diagnoses before ADHD is officially identified.
• Research Paper: “Pain Associated Diagnosis in Childhood before the Diagnosis of ADHD”
• Study Size:
  • Initial population: 700,000+
  • Final sample: ~19,000 children diagnosed with ADHD, 37,000 controls.
• Design: Population-based case-control study conducted in Israel.
• Variables Controlled: Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religious background, access to care.

"They looked at over 700,000 people… narrowed it down to like, almost 19,000 children who were diagnosed with ADHD and then 37,000 who were not to be the control group." — William Curb [01:40]

2. Types of Pain Investigated

The study looked at a broad range of pain experiences before ADHD diagnosis, including:

• Headaches and migraines
• Eye, ear, and throat pain
• Abdominal pain
• Limb pain (legs, knees, ankles, joints)
• Sprains and injuries

"There were headaches, migraines, eye pain, ear pain, throat pain, abdominal pain, various kinds of pain in your leg, your knees, your ankles, your joints, sprains..." — Skye Waterson [02:58]

3. Major Findings

Statistically Significant Patterns

• Rates of Pain-Related Medical Visits:
  • 50% higher for headaches
  • 30% higher for ear pain
  • 14% higher occurrence of prior abdominal pain diagnoses
  • 35% higher for limb pain
  • 40% higher for joint pain

"They were about 50% higher for headaches or 30% higher for ear pain...all of these things had at least some level of having more likely to have... needing more pain management." — William Curb [03:32]

• The results were both statistically and clinically significant.
• These diagnoses occurred prior to ADHD being recognized, ruling out bias from already knowing a child had ADHD.

"The interesting thing about this was this was prior to the ADHD diagnosis... these people did not know that they had ADHD until later." — Skye Waterson [04:13]

4. Interpreting the Pain/ADHD Connection

Subjectivity & Challenges of Measuring Pain

• Pain is subjective and hard to measure—some children may be dismissed as "acting out."
• It can be easy for both parents and medical professionals to overlook pain if no visible injury exists.

"A lot of people with chronic pain are kind of ignored... unless there's like a wound, it's hard to tell that there's something wrong." — William Curb [05:21]
"It's very subjective." — Skye Waterson [05:39]

Theories for the Overlap

• Neurodevelopmental Differences:
  Children with ADHD may have brains that process pain differently.
• Neuroinflammation as a Common Factor:
  Ongoing research into whether inflammation affecting the brain might also affect pain sensitivity.
• Sensory Processing:
  ADHD brains can have lower thresholds for sensory input, making it harder to ignore discomfort.
• Behavioural Factors:
  Impulsivity in ADHD can lead to more injuries (e.g., falls, sports trauma).
• Diagnosing Challenges:
  Could pain distractibility be misinterpreted as inattentive ADHD?

"There was some postulation about neurodevelopmental changes in the brain that could be affecting it..." — Skye Waterson [05:50]
"It's harder for people with ADHD to ignore incoming sensory information. And so pain is going to be at the forefront of our brain more." — William Curb [07:38]

5. Practical and Clinical Implications

Recognizing Red Flags

• Frequent pain-related visits may be a clue for clinicians and parents that a child should be assessed for ADHD.
• Not meant as a diagnostic tool, but potentially an early warning sign.

Impact on Life and Diagnosis

• Experiences of pain could cause or worsen inattention and other behavioral symptoms.
• Pain and emotionality: Kids with ADHD often feel emotions (and pain) more intensely.

"You can be like kids in pain, they're not being, especially kids with ADHD, they're not being dramatic. That is probably more likely... not something for diagnostic, but a red flag." — William Curb [10:35]

Chronic Injury Accumulation

• Childhood injuries due to ADHD impulsivity may cause lingering chronic pain into adulthood.

"If you're doing enough damage to yourself as a child that it can keep lasting. ... I have a lot of these things that, you know, continue to cause me pain years later." — William Curb [09:17]

Subjectivity and Validation

• Pain is personal and subjective, making it easy to overlook or invalidate someone’s experience.
• Raising awareness is key so families know what to look for and advocate for care.

"It's very subjective. It's very much somebody else's personal experience, which makes it very hard to measure. And one of the reasons that we wanted to bring it up here today..." — Skye Waterson [09:53]

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 01:40 | "They looked at over 700,000 people… narrowed it down to like, almost 19,000 children who were diagnosed with ADHD and then 37,000 who were not to be the control group." | William Curb | | 03:32 | "They were about 50% higher for headaches or 30% higher for ear pain...all of these things had at least some level of having more likely to have… needing more pain management." | William Curb | | 04:13 | "The interesting thing about this was this was prior to the ADHD diagnosis... these people did not know that they had ADHD until later." | Skye Waterson | | 05:21 | "A lot of people with chronic pain are kind of ignored... unless there's like a wound, it's hard to tell that there's something wrong." | William Curb | | 07:38 | "It's harder for people with ADHD to ignore incoming sensory information. And so pain is going to be at the forefront of our brain more." | William Curb | | 10:35 | "You can be like kids in pain, they're not being, especially kids with ADHD, they're not being dramatic... maybe this is a... red flag. Oh, this kid gets in, is hurt a lot." | William Curb |

7. Key Takeaways

• There is a clear association between increased medical visits for pain and a later ADHD diagnosis in children, especially for headaches, limb pain, and joint pain.
• The reason for this relationship remains unclear—possibilities include biological brain differences, heightened sensory sensitivity, emotional intensity, and behavioral factors like impulsive injuries.
• Awareness of this connection is important for parents, educators, and clinicians to avoid dismissing or overlooking pain in children—especially those who may be evaluated for or living with ADHD.
• Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms, but being alert to patterns of pain may aid early intervention.

8. Resources

• Further ADHD resources and support available at unconventionalorganization.com.

Episode Tone:
Warm, conversational, curious, and supportive. Both William and Skye share personal insights and remain respectful of the complexity and subjectivity of both ADHD and pain experiences.

For listeners new to the topic:
This episode is an excellent, accessible entry point for understanding the under-recognized link between childhood pain and the ADHD experience. It offers practical context, validation, and jumping-off points for further exploration.