Is acupuncture effective for treating tics in children?

Childhood tics are a type of tics with a very high incidence rate among children. There are many reasons for such symptoms, such as genetic reasons, which cannot be prevented. Such symptoms always lead to facial tics and motor tics in children, which have a great impact on the physical and mental health of children. Many parents always try different methods to treat them. Let's learn about acupuncture treatment for childhood tics.

Is acupuncture effective for treating tics in children?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is also known as mild brain dysfunction syndrome. The children have normal or basically normal intelligence, but have defects in learning, behavior and temperament, which are manifested as the inability to sit still, frequent small movements and uncoordinated movements, difficulty with fine movements such as threading a needle and buttoning, lack of concentration, and impulsive emotions. Children's tics are involuntary twitching of the muscles of the face, limbs, and trunk, manifested by frequent blinking, frowning, sniffing, pouting, sticking out the tongue, shaking the head, nodding, shrugging, and moving the arms. Symptoms often worsen after emotional excitement or a cold. Some children may involuntarily make abnormal sounds in the throat, such as a rooster crowing, and a few children may swear uncontrollably. Children with this disease are often impatient, willful, and irritable. It is reported that childhood tics are a modern disease, which is related to unbalanced diet, watching TV, playing computer, high study pressure and mental stress.

According to relevant reports, these two diseases can occur at the same time, and 25% to 50% of children with tics also have ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD usually appear before tics, 2 to 3 years earlier, and are common in children with severe tics. Although these two diseases have certain similarities and can occur at the same time, children with simple ADHD will never have muscle twitching, which is the key to distinguishing between tics and ADHD.

Acupuncture can be used to treat tics and ADHD in children. Acupuncture, such as body acupuncture, head acupuncture, ear acupuncture, electroacupuncture, etc., can be combined with comprehensive methods such as moxibustion, ear acupoint pressure, and Chinese medicine acupoint plastering. It has the advantages of significant results, long-lasting effects, and no side effects.

For children with ADHD or Tourette syndrome, experts suggest that they should not ignore psychological treatment, which includes behavioral therapy, supportive psychological counseling, family therapy, etc. In particular, parents and teachers of children with tics should understand the nature and characteristics of the disease, reduce or eliminate worries and anxieties, and know that tics are a disease, not mischief or deliberate affectation, so they can educate correctly and help patiently. Reasonably arrange the daily schedule and activities of the sick child to avoid excessive exercise and stress and fatigue, and carry out rhythmic physical activities.

The above is an introduction to whether acupuncture is effective in treating childhood tics. After understanding it, we know that acupuncture is also effective in treating childhood tics, but when treating, you must go to a regular Chinese medicine hospital, because acupuncture is based on acupoints to regulate the body. If the acupoints are not found correctly, it will not only fail to regulate the body but also cause harm to the body.