When traditional methods didn’t work out so well, Alex Karaszi’s parents decided to try acupuncture for healing from ADHD with awesome results. Now I have to be clear (just the writer is in this news article on Acupuncture) that this is not a claim of efficacy for everyone, but a great report on one kid’s help with ADHD.
Try Acupuncture For Natural Healing From ADHD
Do you or a loved one suffer? Why not Try Acupuncture for healing from ADHD
At school, 8-year-old Alex Karaszi couldn’t focus his attention and sit still. Soon, his grades began to suffer. At home, he had mood swings and threw tantrums. “I was grumpy at night,” the second-grader explained. The family doctor diagnosed mild to moderate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and prescribed medication. Beata Karaszi, Alex’s mother, was reluctant, but went ahead at the urging of her husband and the boy’s teachers. She stopped it after a week. “He got horrible nightmares, became very sensitive, very emotional. It was horrible,” she said. Then she read about another option: acupuncture.
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Research suggests that acupuncture stimulates the release of naturally occurring chemicals in the body that affect regulatory systems. National Institutes of Health studies have shown it to be effective for treating pain, and many insurance plans cover such treatments.
“More recently we’ve been using it for attention deficit disorder, allergies and asthma,” said Dr. Laura Weathers, a pediatrician and acupuncture practitioner at USF Health to whom Alex’s mother turned for help.
The Karaszi family is so sure acupuncture is helping their son, they are paying $85 per treatment, out of pocket. Insurance won’t cover the therapy. Practitioners have long touted it, and fans around the world say it helps improve concentration and calm impulses. But acupuncture for ADHD has not been proved in randomized, double-blind studies, the gold standard of medical evidence.
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Weathers agrees acupuncture is no magic bullet for everyone, but given the lack of side effects, “if it lessens the medications that they take then it’s worth it.”
Weathers began treating Alex about six months ago, initially seeing him twice a week and now every three to four weeks. At this week’s visit Weathers inserted one thin needle in each ankle, the inside bend of each elbow and two on top of his head.
When asked if it hurt, Alex smiled broadly. “Just a little at first. But it doesn’t hurt like getting a shot.”
Weathers then clipped a small electrical stimulator to some of the needles, which gently taps them to stimulate energy in that area. She directed a heat lamp toward his bare feet, turned on relaxing music, lowered the lights and let him lie quietly for 15 to 20 minutes.
For a boy who once couldn’t stay still, this soothing ritual now comes easily.
His mother noticed a difference in her son’s behavior after three or four weeks. “Big changes,” she said, “He became calmer.” The difference was more dramatic to Alex’s father. “I was working out of town and would come home on the weekends, so I really noticed the change.”
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(S)eeing Alex happier, calmer, and performing better in school, his mother says, means “acupuncture has been worth the cost.”
Like I said at the top, this is not a sure-fire method for everyone who suffers from ADHD. Not even a hint at that, but still this is something that was worthy of mentioning.
But if I had it (which my family probably thinks I do sometimes), then I’d be setting up an appointment to try acupuncture for natural healing from ADHD. Especially after seeing the other awesome new studies out talking up acupuncture for other problems as well.
What do you think, is this worth a try, or a waste of time?
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