The Use of Acupuncture for Pain Management in Pediatric Patients: A Single-Arm Feasibility Study

Abstract

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 integra...