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Acupuncture for Pediatric Pain
Brenda Golianu1, Ann Ming Yeh2, Meredith Brooks3
1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Pediatric Anesthesiology, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr. Stanford, CA 94304, USA. bgolianu@stanford.edu.
Insights
Acupuncture shows promise as an effective complementary therapy for pediatric chronic pain conditions like headaches and arthritis. Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to confirm its benefits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pain management
- Integrative medicine
- Acupuncture research
Background:
- Chronic pain affects up to 30.8% of children, posing a significant health challenge.
- Acupuncture is increasingly recognized for its potential in managing various chronic pain conditions.
- Its role in pediatric multidisciplinary pain treatment programs warrants exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the basic principles and mechanisms of acupuncture.
- To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for pediatric pain conditions.
- To identify areas for future research in pediatric acupuncture.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on acupuncture principles, mechanisms, and clinical studies.
- Discussion of conditions treated in pediatric pain clinics, including headache, abdominal pain, fibromyalgia, juvenile arthritis, complex regional pain syndrome, cancer pain, and perioperative pain.
- Examination of procedural aspects, safety, and research gaps.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture principles and basic mechanisms are outlined.
- Clinical efficacy studies for various pediatric pain conditions are discussed.
- Safety and procedural aspects of acupuncture practice are reviewed.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture can serve as an effective adjuvant therapy for pediatric patients experiencing acute and chronic pain.
- Further high-quality research, including randomized controlled trials and comparative effectiveness studies, is essential.
- The integration of acupuncture into pediatric pain management requires additional investigation.
Abstract:
Chronic pain is a growing problem in children, with prevalence as high as 30.8%. Acupuncture has been found to be useful in many chronic pain conditions, and may be of clinical value in a multidisciplinary treatment program. The basic principles of acupuncture are reviewed, as well as studies exploring basic mechanisms of acupuncture and clinical efficacy. Conditions commonly treated in the pediatric pain clinic, including headache, abdominal pain, fibromyalgia, juvenile arthritis, complex regional pain syndrome, cancer pain, as well as perioperative pain studies are reviewed and discussed. Areas in need of further research are identified, and procedural aspects of acupuncture practice and safety studies are reviewed. Acupuncture can be an effective adjuvant in the care of pediatric patients with painful conditions, both in a chronic and an acute setting. Further studies, including randomized controlled trials, as well as trials of comparative effectiveness are needed.
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