As one of the entities in the world that support alternative medicines, The Peterson Group CAM and Integrative Medicines is convinced that acupuncture is safe for children. It even considers the practice as an effective method to treat chronic pain as well as other illnesses and diseases.

It's evident that there are several study findings regarding this particular traditional Chinese medicine, some of it proved its effectiveness, others don’t. Modern American acupuncturists have been through strict training, safety standards and certifications before becoming licensed, making them trustworthy and reliable individuals. Unqualified practitioners are often the reason why some studies suggest that acupuncture is not really effective and safe for children.

On the other hand, The Peterson Group strongly believes that qualified practitioners can provide effective treatment for children using acupuncture. It is considered safe because of some factors, such as infections from acupuncture needles are particularly rare because only single-use sterile disposable needles are being used in this practice.

As a parent, you're may be thinking that the needles can pierce through the lungs or other vital organs of your child, but you're thinking it wrong because the needles are hair-fine, virtually painless, and are inserted superficially into the skin. But if you can't help but get worried about the needles, there are also other painless methods used to stimulate the acupuncture points without using any needles but have similar therapeutic effects as acupuncture. Those kind of methods will not have any pernicious effect on the body since they do not penetrate the skin.

Experts are also using a non-needle method to children afraid of needles. In particular, this method is commonly used for babies and toddlers to stimulate acupuncture points. Acupuncture needles are not retained in the body for children under age 8, they are swiftly tapped in and immediately taken out. Advise your children to stay still for a couple of seconds at a time during the treatment. But for children over age 8, the needles are maintained in the body for 10 to 20 minutes while the child is sitting still. In order to avoid any dangerous effect on the child, the needles are made smaller and are inserted superficially to the skin.

During the insertion of the needle, children might feel a brief feeling of discomfort for almost 1-2 seconds, which is not a big deal so there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Because of the special techniques used in pediatrics, mild harmful effects such as temporary bruising or swelling at the needle site rarely happen. The Peterson Group wants you to make sure that the practitioner you choose is licensed and has special training in pediatrics.