By Staff Acupuncture appears to be an effective pain management tool for children who have chronic medical conditions, according to a study published by Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. The study found that a significant portion of children who have chronic care conditions – many of whom are already on numerous medications – might benefit from the…
By Staff
Acupuncture appears to be an effective pain management tool for children who have chronic medical conditions, according to a study published by Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.
The study found that a significant portion of children who have chronic care conditions – many of whom are already on numerous medications – might benefit from the use of the low-risk and non-toxic benefits of acupuncture. The study, “The Use of Acupuncture in a Pediatric Chronic Care Setting: Clinical Applications” was published in a recent edition of Medical Acupuncture.
Many patients who have complex medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and other brain and musculoskeletal conditions experience chronic pain. As a result, they are often medicated with drugs that can make them sleepy, gain weight and exacerbate mood swings that burden both the child and their families, says Scott Schwantes, M.D., a pediatrician at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare and lead author of the study.
“A lot of these patients have gone through a tremendous amount of physical and emotional pain,” Schwantes says. “These kids have a complex array of distressing symptoms that decrease their quality of life. For some of them, acupuncture may be a valuable tool to add to their treatment.”
This retrospective case series highlights patients referred for acupuncture between June 2014 and June 2015. Fifty two (52) unique patients received 136 acupuncture treatments in the clinic or hospital setting. Patients received treatments based upon their backgrounds and presenting complaints along with energetic work, biomechanical treatment (surface release technique, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), and/or auriculotherapy (ear stimulation).
All of the patients received notable benefits from acupuncture – spanning from decreased pain to complete relief.
Acupuncture therapy takes about 30 minutes and involves placing a series of needles at precise points on a patient. The minimally invasive, outpatient procedure could be an alternative for children who are already burdened with surgeries, frequent hospital stays and medications, Schwantes says. The largest drawback to the procedure is needle phobia in some children.
“The proof is with the patients. They’re the ones who are successfully recovering from pain,” Schwantes says. “This study shows that acupuncture can be a safe, well-tolerated, and effective therapy for children and young adults with pediatric-onset disabilities.”
Source Nationalpainreport.com
Originally posted 2023-08-20 18:13:36.
