August 16, 2000 (Rockville, MD) - According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as many as 3.8 million schoolchildren in the United States are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), making it one the most common behavioral problems for children and adolescents. Of these, at least 2 million take stimulants like Ritalin, and many more take other prescription medications.
Medical acupuncture, practiced by licensed M.D.'s and D.O.'s who integrate traditional Western medicine with alternative treatment modalities, is a safe, effective treatment strategy for children with ADHD, without the side-effects of drugs.
"The commonly prescribed drugs are not treating the core problems that cause ADHD, they are only temporarily alleviating the symptoms," said Nader E. Soliman, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) with a private practice in Rockville, MD. "Medical acupuncture can help children focus in school by treating the root of the problem, and at the same time reduce or eliminate the need for medications such as Ritalin," he added.
In patients with ADHD, many parts of the nervous system do not appear to be fully operational, which presumably causes the inability to focus, poor listening skills, fidgeting and disruptive behavior. These symptoms can make the annual "back to school" a stressful time of year for both children and their families.
Soliman primarily treats ADHD with auricular medicine, a subspecialty of medical acupuncture that uses the human ear as a means of diagnosing and treating dysfunctional systems in the body. The procedure stimulates certain points on the ear with a mild, electrical pulse. Once the symptoms of ADHD disappear, usually after one to four months of weekly treatment sessions, patients can cease therapy.
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