Pinpoint: The Acupuncture Tip Sheet

The National Institutes of Health report that 150,000 kids in America use acupuncture, and a form of the practice could bring relief to pre-school patients. Four-and-a-half-year-old Riley Chang, previously a sufferer of intense headaches and stomach pain, is now receiving the benefits of acupressure—a form of acupuncture, which, rather than puncturing the skin with needles, applies pressure at those same critical points discovered 3,000 years ago. Riley's physician, Dr. Anjana Kundu, who works in the Complementary Medicine department at Seattle Children's Hospital, explained her treatment decision for Riley's severe pain: The acupressure regimen has not been implemented in lieu of regular treatment. Instead, it's a complement to medication. Riley's mother notes that being pain-free has enabled her son to get back to all of his normal activities.

In Other News:

Getting "As" in Acupuncture
On  June 8th, 91 students graduated from the Tai Sophia Institute in Maryland, which specializes in academic wellness programs. Of the 91 graduates, 57 completed the acupuncture program.

Catupuncture
Researchers have recently utilized acupuncture to treat a cat suffering from limb paralysis.

Weapons of Mass Pain Relief
The United States Air Force has recently approved battlefield acupuncture training for many of its physicians. The trainees will be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to administer complementary treatments to regular chronic pain remedies.