A pilot study undertaken by Canadian researchers suggests that acupuncture may be useful for treating anxiety in children. A total of 20 children with anxiety, aged 8 to 16, were randomised to either receive acupuncture once a week for five weeks, or to go on a waiting list as control. Treatment was individually tailored and combined with cupping and/or ear seeds if appropriate.
After the five weeks, anxiety was significantly lower in the acupuncture group compared to the control group. Acupuncture was judged to be a safe and acceptable treatment for children and adolescents with anxiety.
(Pilot study of acupuncture to treat anxiety in children and adolescents. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 6 April 2018.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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