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Acupuncture for pediatric chronic pain: a systematic review
João Roberto Bissoto1, José Udevanier Rebouças da Silva Júnior2, Gabrielle Pignoli Alvares3
1Departamento de Pediatria, Grupo de Reumatologia Pediátrica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Grupo de Acupuntura, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Insights
Acupuncture shows promise for pediatric chronic pain, improving quality of life. However, current evidence is limited, necessitating larger, well-designed studies for confirmation.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Pediatric Pain Management
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Chronic pain significantly impacts children's quality of life.
- Acupuncture and related techniques are explored for pain management.
- Limited research exists on acupuncture for pediatric chronic pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and analyze scientific evidence.
- To evaluate acupuncture's efficacy in pediatric chronic pain.
- To discuss the current state of research and future directions.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive database search (MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO) following PRISMA guidelines.
- Inclusion of clinical studies (up to age 22) including randomized trials, single-arm studies, and case series.
- Quality assessment using MMAT and STRICTA criteria for randomized trials.
Main Results:
- 5 studies (2 case series, 2 single-arm, 1 RCT) met inclusion criteria from 2369 retrieved articles.
- Studies indicated positive outcomes: reduced pain intensity, improved school attendance, and social life.
- Included studies were assessed as good quality.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture demonstrated potential benefits in pediatric chronic pain management.
- Significant limitations in study design and sample size were noted.
- Weak evidence currently supports acupuncture; further robust research is essential.
Objectives:
To survey, analyze and discuss the scientific evidence supporting the use of acupuncture and related techniques in the management of chronic pain in the pediatric population.
Sources:
A survey of databases (MEDLINE, Scopus and Scielo) was carried out with search strategies, following the PRISMA statement, without limits on publication dates and languages. Clinical studies (clinical trials, single-arm, and case series) were accepted for review if they included participants aged up to 22 years. Study quality was assessed by MMAT, and the randomized clinical trial was analyzed under the STRICTA criteria.
Summary Of The Findings:
2369 articles were retrieved. After excluding repetitions, 1335 underwent the initial selection. Only 16 articles were selected for full reading, of which 5 were included in the review, being two case series, two single-arm studies, and one randomized clinical trial. The articles were considered of good quality by the adopted criteria.
Conclusion:
The analyzed studies showed important clinical results such as the reduction of pain intensity, and improvement in school attendance and social life. However, there are many limitations in study design and sample size. Therefore, there is weak evidence to support the use of acupuncture in the context of pediatric chronic pain, but the positive results reinforce the need for further investigation of the topic with the conduct of larger and well-designed studies, to obtain more data and greater scientific conviction of the findings.
