When the year-long study was over, the average pain rating among the youngsters was a “three.” The kids also reported missing less school, sleeping better, and being more able to participate in extracurricular activities as a result of treatment.

In an earlier study at the same hospital, 70 percent of the 47 youngsters participating reported that acupuncture helped relieve their pain and 59 percent of their parents agreed. The conditions for which these patients were treated included migraines, endometriosis in teenage girls, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy (a syndrome in which pain becomes chronic after an injury). In this study, 15 children were age 12 or under while 32 were between 13 and 20 years old. Other studies have looked at acupuncture as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cerebral palsy in children. While not many acupuncturists specialize in treating children, Dr. Lin estimates that about a third of pediatric pain centers nationwide now offer acupuncture to their young patients. Acupuncture is best used for pain reduction as part of comprehensive treatment that includes relaxation techniques, clinical hypnosis and various forms of bodywork.

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