Acupuncture has been shown to be safe for children and teens when done by trained practitioners. Acupuncture is accomplished by inserting very small needles into the skin at certain points in the body. Children, and even adults, are often afraid of needles. It takes time to gain the trust of a child and a good practitioner can keep a conversation going to distract the child during the procedure. Children can benefit from acupuncture for a variety of conditions.

Personal Story

When I worked as an assistant to a chiropractor, I had the opportunity to watch him perform an acupuncture treatment on a patient. It was interesting to watch. I have not had acupuncture, but several family members have benefited from the treatments.

Conditions that May Benefit from Acupuncture

Acupuncture releases endorphins that helps pain, but it can do other things, too. It has been used to help the following conditions in children and teens.

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Asthma and allergies
• Bedwetting
• Bone and joint pain
• Brain injuries
• Chronic pain
• Drooling
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Lazy eye
• Muscular skeletal issues
• Nausea
• Reflux
• Stomach pain

The treatment used is specific to each condition. They bring general and specific benefits.

General Benefits

Children who have taken part of studies have reported the following benefits to acupuncture treatments:

• Being able to take part in in extracurricular activities
• Missing less school
• Sleeping better

These benefits are important to a healthy childhood.

Specific Benefits

Specific results to the acupuncture sessions vary according to the individual.

• Asthma- the puncture points can tonify the lung, ventilate the lung, tonify the kidneys, or invigorate the spleen.
• Headache- migraines may be effectively treated by releasing endogenous opioids.
• Bedwetting- there is tentative evidence for effective treatment from acupuncture.
• Nausea- true electrical acupuncture has reduced post operation nausea and vomiting.
• Pain management- studies have shown a significantly decreased postoperative pain through relaxing the children and improving their pain.
• Allergy rhinitis- some studies have shown lower daily rhinitis scores and more symptom-free days when children received intervention twice a week for eight weeks.

The benefits of acupuncture may need more research to be considered conclusive.

Action

Consider acupuncture as an alternative therapy that can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan to help children with a variety of conditions.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. When have you had benefits from acupuncture?