Elizabeth S. Doll, M.D., was recently featured in MD Update about her use of acupuncture to treat children with migraines. An accomplished child neurologist, she also spent hundreds of hours at Harvard University, training in the art of acupuncture.

She offers acupuncture as a way to help with migraines and severe headaches in teens and children as young as 6 years old.

“Research shows that acupuncture, when done properly, is a great, noninvasive way to treat headaches and other pain conditions, often without the use of medicines,” Dr. Doll said. “Many patients I treat in the hospital see relief quickly.”

Dr. Doll says when most people think of acupuncture, they picture someone lying down with hundreds of needles all over their body. That’s not the treatment she provides.

“My treatments are about 45 minutes and involve roughly 10 to 15 needles,” she said. “Those needles are usually placed at acupuncture points in distant areas, like the ears and feet.”

Dr. Doll says acupuncture isn’t going to replace modern treatments and medications, but rather it’s a good way to supplement care, especially in the hospital setting.

“It’s not a miracle cure,” she said. “Acupuncture can relieve pain quickly, but medicines and other forms of treatment are still important. Acupuncture can be effective long-term, but periodic treatments outside the hospital setting are needed.”

For those with severe headaches, acupuncture can make a big difference.

“I recently had a patient in the hospital and we were treating her with IV medication for her migraine,” Dr. Doll said. “After performing acupuncture, she didn’t need any more medications and went home the next day.”

Read the full article in MD Update here. To make a referral to a pediatric neurologist, fill out our online form here.