Acupuncture for kids

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Acupuncture for kids

By: Ivanhoe Newswire

About 20 million children in the United States suffer from at least one chronic health problem, which refers to an illness that lasts over a period of months or years.

Chronic illnesses can last a lifetime. Certain illnesses, however, are temporary conditions. For example, babies born with lung disease often outgrow their illness. Children with scoliosis sometimes only need a brace until they finish growing.

Asthma is the most common chronic illness, affecting about 5 million children in the country. Each illness affects the body differently. Therefore, treatments vary. Many children with chronic illnesses endure frequent doctor visits and tests.

Acupuncture is an ancient Oriental medical practice. It mostly consists of the insertion of fine needles into the body at specific points shown to be effective in the treatment of specific health problems. There are more than 1,000 known acupuncture points.

Proponents said electromagnetic research has confirmed the existence and location of these points. However, modern Western medicine cannot explain how acupuncture works. The practice is based on ancient Chinese theories involving the flow of the qi, which is a fine, essential substance that nourishes and constructs the body.

Acupuncture for kids

Doctors use acupuncture to treat children for migraines and nausea resulting from chemotherapy and operations.

Acupuncture centers around the idea of restoring the harmonious balance of the body and its parts. Acupuncture needles are typically not much thicker than a hair, and practitioners say it is virtually painless. They add most people find acupuncture very relaxing and do not even realize the needles are in place.

Oded Herbsman, M.D., of California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, uses acupuncture to treat kids with chronic illnesses. He said the practice helps children's bodies more quickly return to balance and says it boosts their immune systems. Herbsman said acupuncture is safe and does not pose any serious side effects.

He uses acupuncture to treat children for problems such as migraines and also nausea resulting from chemotherapy and operations.

He has used it on children who have had stomach flu and are consequently having problems with their intestinal tract. Herbsman said acupuncture is good for general immunity and can be used to treat things like colic and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Herbsman treated one toddler with cystic fibrosis.

The child's mother says following his first treatment, he was happier, didn't take as many naps, began breathing better, and put on some necessary weight. The mother says although the treatment is painless, her son cries and howls.

However, she hopes that will end when he becomes accustomed to it. Herbsman does say that acupuncture does not necessarily work for all patients, and in some cases, standard antibiotic medications can more effectively treat an illness.

URL: http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=60103&SecID=2

4 December 2004