Objective Chronic pain is reported by 15–25% of children. Growing evidence from clinical samples suggests that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are desired by families and may benefit some children with pain conditions. The objective of this study is to provide estimates of CAM use by children with pain in the United States. Methods We analyzed data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to estimate patterns, predictors, and perceived benefits of CAM use among children 4–17 years of age with and without painful conditions in the US. We used χ2 tests to compare the prevalence rates of CAM use among children with pain to CAM use among children without pain. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with CAM use within the group of children with pain conditions. Results Parents reported that 26.6% of children had pain conditions (e.g. headache, abdominal, musculoskeletal pain) in the past year; of these children, 21.3% used CAM. In contrast only 8.1% of children without pain conditions used CAM (χ2: p<.001). CAM use among children with pain was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.49, p=0.005), higher income (aOR=1.61, p=0.027), and presence of 4+ comorbidities (aOR=2.01, p=0.013). Among children with pain who used CAM the 2 most commonly used CAM modalities were biologically-based therapies (47.3%) (e.g., special diets and herbal supplements) and manipulative or body-based therapies (46.3%) (e.g., chiropractic and massage). Conclusions CAM is frequently used by children with pain in the USA and many parents report benefits for their child’s symptoms.
Objectives: Use of complementary and integrative health approaches has increased significantly in recent decades, with hospital-based acupuncture programs becoming more common. This article presents the feasibility of developing an inpatient acupuncture program at a pediatric hospital. Design and setting: In January 2014, Seattle Children's Hospital, a tertiary care pediatric hospital serving patients from a five-state region, began a 6-month pilot project offering inpatient acupuncture. During the pilot, inpatient acupuncture and related manual therapies were provided to pediatric patients age 0-23 years who were admitted to Seattle Children's Hospital or were seen for an outpatient surgical procedure. Measures: The following data were collected: the reason for the acupuncture consult, type and number of treatments provided, any reported response to treatment, and any reported adverse events. Patients and referring providers gave feedback via questionnaires. Results: During the pilot program, 338 treatments were provided to 87 patients. High interest, demand, and positive feedback from hospital providers, patients, and families led to the development of a full-time inpatient acupuncture program. Conclusions: The positive response to Seattle Children's inpatient acupuncture program with feasibility and acceptability demonstrated by increasing consults and patient and provider questionnaire data suggest that similar programs may be of interest to other pediatric hospitals.
Acupuncture studies have demonstrated varying effects on pediatric postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Unanswered questions include whether the type of therapy, number of points used, or timing of treatments vary the effect of acupuncture. We present a case series of intraoperative multipoint acupuncture treatments for high-risk pediatric patients. Fourteen patients were included, and 19 treatments were provided. Twelve patients (85.7%) had previous PONV. Patients who received intraoperative acupunctur e reported no early phase PONV, and 3 patients (15.8%) reported late-phase PONV. One patient required postoperative antiemetics. Intraoperative multipoint acupuncture may be a safe and efficacious adjunct for PONV in high-risk pediatric patients.
Focus Area: Alleviating Pain Acupuncture is infrequently studied in the pediatric oncology population; however, it has immense potential as a complementary cancer care modality. The aim of our analysis was to characterize the patients and utilization of acupuncture therapy among the pediatric oncology population at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. A retrospective analysis of medical records for patients between the ages of 0 and 18 years who were undergoing treatment for an oncological diagnosis and had received acupuncture therapy between January 2004 and September 2012 was conducted with sub-analysis performed of acupuncture treatments received. A total of 133 patients, comprising 3.2% of the pediatric oncology population at our institution, utilized acupuncture therapy during the years 2004 to 2012. A cumulative 523 acupuncture treatments were provided in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. The majority of patients receiving acupuncture were in their teenage years and received between 1 and 5 treatments. While referrals were mainly received for a pain indication or nausea and vomiting, acupuncture treatments provided addressed a wide variety of patients' complaints. Acupuncture use among the pediatric oncology population is relatively low; however, acupuncture appears to be well tolerated, perceived as beneficial, and without any serious adverse events in this population. These findings help to identify optimal ways in which acupuncture services can be offered clinically to this unique population in the future. Acupuncture therapy demonstrated potential as a beneficial complementary cancer care modality for a wide variety of complaints and cancer treatment-related side effects in patients with varying ages and cancer diagnoses. Further research is warranted to explore evidence-based data with regard to the safety and efficacy of acupuncture use among pediatric oncology patients and to determine its impact on quality of life and treatment outcomes including impact on cancer treatment–related side effects.
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