We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The Use of Acupuncture for Pain Management in Pediatric Patients: A Single-Arm Feasibility Study.
- Authors
Johnson, Angela; Kent, Paul; Swanson, Barbara; Rosdil, Anneliese; Owen, Erika; Fogg, Louis; Keithley, Joyce
- Abstract
Background: Chronic pain is a prevalent issue in children. When pain persists in childhood, it can impair quality of life (QoL) greatly and have significant physical, psychologic, and social consequences. Achieving treatment goals involves developing personalized plan of care, including a combination of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments, and increasingly, using integrative medicine. In adult populations, acupuncture is considered to be a safe and effective treatment for several pain conditions. However, evidence supporting the efficacy of acupuncture in pediatric pain management is lacking. This study examined the impact of acupuncture on pain, nausea, and QoL in children with diverse chronic pain conditions. Materials and Methods: This single group, pretest-post-test study used the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool (APPT), the Pediatric Nausea Assessment (PeNAT), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0) as measurement tools. Setting: The study was conducted at an integrative medicine center in a large midwestern city. Pediatric participants were recruited from six large medical centers in the surrounding area. Participants: Fifty-five children and adolescents, between ages 7 and 20, who experienced chronic pain conditions participated in this study. Intervention: Participants received eight individually tailored acupuncture treatments. Study sessions were 60 minutes long, with 30 minutes dedicated to the acupuncture intervention. Outcome Measures: Participants rated their pain (APPT) and nausea (PeNAT) prior to and after each treatment session. Before and after sessions 1 and 8, participants and their parents rated the child's QoL (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory). Results: Mixed models indicated significant positive results both during and after treatment sessions for pain, nausea, and QoL indicators. Conclusion: Acupuncture may be a safe and effective adjunct treatment for chronic pain conditions in pediatric populations. Randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed to explore acupuncture efficacy for pain treatment in children.
- Subjects
PAIN management; ACUPUNCTURE; INTERVIEWING; PEDIATRICS; QUESTIONNAIRES; RESEARCH funding; SURVEYS; INTEGRATIVE medicine; PRE-tests &; post-tests; DATA analysis software
- Publication
Alternative & Complementary Therapies, 2015, Vol 21, Issue 6, p255
- ISSN
1076-2809
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1089/act.2015.29022.ajo