RECENT RESEARCH
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Lee J, Sung HK. East Asian traditional medicine for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a scoping review. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2025 Oct 24; 25( 1): 399. doi: 10.1186 / s12906-025-05119-y. PMID: 41137076; PMCID: PMC12553229.
Background: East Asian Traditional Medicine( EATM) offers various modalities-such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and manual therapy-for managing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder( ADHD) in children and adolescents. This scoping review aimed to identify the overall status and characteristics of EATM treatments for children and adolescents with ADHD.
Methods: Following the Arksey and O ' Malley framework, we searched 13 databases in English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Articles evaluating the effectiveness and safety of EATM treatments for ADHD in children and adolescents aged < 18 years were included. EATM treatments were categorized into herbal medicine, acupuncture, manual therapy, miscellaneous modalities, and combined treatments.
Results: A total of 198 studies were ultimately included in the review. When categorized by treatment method, most studies focused on herbal medicine( n = 104), followed by miscellaneous modalities( n = 41), acupuncture( n = 26), combined treatments( n = 20), and manual therapy( n = 7). Most studies were conducted in China( 78.3 %) and published in Chinese( 74.7 %). Among these, 169 were randomised controlled trials, 19 were controlled clinical trials, and 10 were systematic reviews and / or meta-analyses. Among controlled trials, most studies reported positive effects in the experimental group( n = 101, 53.7 %); however, > 50 % of the studies did not report adverse events( n = 107, 56.9 %).
Conclusions: This comprehensive review provides an unprecedented overview of diverse EATM treatments for paediatric patients with ADHD, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, manual therapy, and miscellaneous modalities. Further studies should focus on methodological improvements, such as the use of standardised diagnostic criteria and systematic reporting of adverse reactions. This study provides foundational data for future research and clinical practice, including the development of research protocols and treatment guidelines.
Zhao FY, Xu Y, Kennedy GA, Conduit R, Zhang WJ, Jiang T, Xu P, Ho YS, Fu QQ, Chow CM. Is integrating acupuncture into the management of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents now opportune and evidence-based? A systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2025 Jun; 90:103163. doi: 10.1016 / j. ctim. 2025.103163. Epub 2025 Mar 12. PMID: 40086639.
Background and aim: The use of acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular in the management of attentiondeficit / hyperactivity disorder( ADHD). This systematic review consolidates evidence on acupuncture ' s efficacy and safety for treating ADHD in children and adolescents.
Methods: Controlled clinical trials assessing acupuncture against waitlistcontrol, placebo or active controls, or as an adjunct treatment were systematically searched across seven databases from inception to November 2024. Cochrane criteria were adhered to.
Results: We reviewed 25 studies with 1758 participants. None compared acupuncture to placebo or behavioral therapy. Subdomain analysis of the Conners ' Parent Rating Scale indicated that acupuncture and Methylphenidate had comparable effects on Conduct Problems [ SMD = 0.03, 95 % CI(-0.93, 0.99), p = 0.95 ] and Learning Problems [ SMD = 0.29, 95 % CI(-0.38, 0.97), p = 0.39 ], but acupuncture was more effective in controlling Impulsive / Hyperactive symptoms [ SMD =-1.71, 95 % CI(-2.08,-1.35), p < 0.01 ]. Insufficient sample size prevented confirmation of potential false positives. Acupuncture was safer and reduced Methylphenidate-related side-effects, including appetite loss, sleep disturbances, dry mouth, abdominal pain, and constipation. Acupuncture combined with behavioral therapy outperformed behavioral therapy alone in improving Psychosomatic symptoms [ SMD =-0.88, 95 % CI(-1.54,-0.23), p < 0.01 ]. In the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test, ADHD patients receiving acupuncture alongside conventional care performed better than those receiving conventional care alone. Nevertheless, the methodological quality of the included trials was very low to low, with significant bias risk, and 88 % lacked follow-up.
Conclusions: Acupuncture may offer an alternative for children and adolescents with ADHD who are intolerant to medication( primarily Methylphenidate). When combined with medication or behavioral therapy, it appeared more effective in ameliorating hyperactivity / impulsivity, inattention and conduct problems than standard treatments alone. It is also safe and well-tolerated. However, the supporting evidence is of low quality, and well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed. Thus, it is premature to recommend acupuncture as an alternative or adjunctive therapy for ADHD management.
Snow A, Ralston-Wilson J, Milley R. Acupuncture in Pediatrics: A Scoping Review. J Integr Complement Med. 2025 Apr; 31( 4): 335- 349. doi: 10.1089 / jicm. 2024.0150. Epub 2025 Feb 5. PMID: 39910032.
Background: The use of acupuncture for common pediatric conditions continues to grow in the United States. Six previous reviews have summarized the research; however, approximately 8 years have accumulated adding to this growing body of literature.
Objectives: The aim of this article is to provide a scoping review of acupuncture research in pediatric conditions and a summary of the effectiveness of acupuncture in the pediatric population.
Methods: A systematic search was performed to identify clinical trials and reviews published between August 2015
238 | vol31 | no4 | AJNM