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The Benefits of Acupuncture for Children

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Acupuncture for children and teenagers is becoming an increasingly common treatment for headaches, stomachaches, back pain, depression and many other frequent health concerns.

       A study into the effects of acupuncture for children was conducted by Yuan-Chi Lin, M.D., an anesthesiologist specializing in pediatric pain management at the Boston-based Harvard-affiliated Children’s Hospital. It involved 243 children ranging between 6 months and 18 years of age.

       Lin’s yearlong study found children that had received acupuncture therapy reported less pain, on average, than before treatment, rating their average pain as a three out of 10, as opposed to an eight out of 10 before they started. They also reported increased school attendance, improved sleep and increased participation in extracurricular activities.

       Acupuncture for children has helped with a wide range of ailments, from headaches to the effects of ADHD, and is a safe alternative to pharmaceuticals that many parents do not want their children taking. Increasingly, more parents are turning to acupuncture as an effective and necessary method of reestablishing and maintaining health within their children’s constitution.

The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine teaches acupuncture, massage and herbology at campuses in San Diego, New York and Chicago, including a new doctoral program. For more information, call 866-276-0717 or visit PacificCollege.edu.