Acupuncture by Untrained Providers Poses Risks for Kids

Study finds treatment safe for children if administered by trained professionals

November 25, 2011

A Canadian study finds most acupuncture complications occur when procedures are performed by inexperienced or untrained providers .

In the hands of trained practitioners, acupuncture is a safe medical treatment, even for children. But a new study finds when acupuncture is performed by untrained providers, it can pose a serious risk to young patients.

Millions of people around the world use the ancient Chinese medical practice which involves inserting fine needles into the skin at specific sites around the body to treat illness or to provide anesthesia.

In most cases, concludes a study by Canadian researchers published in Pediatrics, acupuncture is safe enough to perform on children, including infants.

Anita Vohra, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, says people use acupuncture for a variety of conditions, including promotion of wellness and to reduce chronic pain or nausea.

“There are some children who also have chronic pain. There are also children who have nausea and vomiting. Those conditions are not exclusive to adults.”

In a study of the outcomes of more than 14,000 pediatric patients over several decades, Vohra and her colleagues found just 253 reports of minor adverse events. These included cases of pain, bruising and bleeding among infants and children after undergoing acupuncture.