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Acupuncture for pediatric sickle cell pain management: A promising non-opioid therapy
Shiu-Lin Tsai1, Michelle Bombacie2, Maureen Licursi3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.
Insights
Acupuncture effectively reduced pain in children with sickle cell disease. This study found acupuncture to be a safe, non-opioid option for managing pain in this population.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Pediatric Hematology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder characterized by chronic pain.
- Effective pain management in pediatric SCD patients remains a clinical challenge, often relying on opioid analgesics with potential side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture as a pain management strategy for pediatric patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
- To describe the utilization of acupuncture in a clinical setting for SCD-related pain.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart review was conducted at a single institution from 2012-2019.
- Data collected included patient demographics, pain locations, pre- and post-acupuncture pain scores using validated scales, and adverse events.
- Acupuncture treatments were administered by licensed acupuncturists, with point prescriptions guided by Traditional Chinese Medicine and Japanese acupuncture principles.
Main Results:
- Ninety acupuncture treatments were provided to 24 pediatric SCD patients (median age 17.5 years).
- Pain reduction was observed in 65.5% of treatments with documented pre/post-acupuncture pain scores.
- A statistically significant reduction in pain scores was noted on a 0-4 pain scale (p < 0.0001), while a trend was observed on a 0-10 scale (p = 0.11).
- No adverse events were reported during the study period.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture therapy demonstrated a capacity to decrease pain in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease.
- Acupuncture represents a safe, non-opioid therapeutic alternative for pain management in this vulnerable patient group.
Objective:
To describe the use of acupuncture for pain management in children with sickle cell disease.
Design:
A retrospective chart review of a single-institution experience on the use of acupuncture in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease was evaluated between 2012-2019. Demographic characteristics, presenting pain location, pain scores pre- and post-acupuncture, and adverse events were collected.
Setting:
Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital Pediatric Hematology outpatient and inpatient units.
Interventions:
Acupuncture was performed by six licensed acupuncturists. Point prescriptions were based on pain location, philosophies of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Japanese Style of Kiiko Matsumoto acupuncture.
Main Outcome Measures:
Pain reduction as measured by two Verbal Pain Scales.
Results:
Ninety acupuncture treatments were administered to twenty-four patients with sickle cell disease: median age 17.5 years, 62 % female, 37.5 % African American, 50 % Hispanic. The mean treatment duration was 18.5 ± 4.8 min. Fifty-five treatments had documented pre/post-acupuncture pain scores. Pain reduction was achieved in 65.5 % of these treatments. A 0-10 pain scale used in 13 treatments reported a mean pre-acupuncture score of 7.31 ± 1.75, post-acupuncture score of 6.08 ± 1.85, and a mean pain score change of 1.23 ± 1.09 (p = 0.11); A 0-4 pain scale used in 42 treatments reported a mean pre-acupuncture pain score of 3.31 ± 0.72, post-acupuncture score of 2.33 ± 0.98, and a mean pain score change of 0.98 ± 0.99 (p < 0.0001). No adverse events were noted.
Conclusion:
Acupuncture therapy decreased pain for our patients with sickle cell disease, providing a safe non-opioid therapeutic option.
