June 27, 2016
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia plans to start offering its patients acupuncture as an alternative care option beginning in July, with additional alternative therapies, such as massage and aromatherapy, coming within a year.
As Philly.com reports, there are several reasons why CHOP has decided to offer alternative medicine options as a compliment to patients' standard medical care, including the fact that patients and their parents have been asking for these offerings, as well as the benefit of being able to monitor all aspects of its patients' care plan.
Said simply, "to know exactly what extra treatments their patients are receiving,” Maria R. Mascarenhas, medical director of CHOP’s new Integrative Health Program told Philly.com.
CHOP will look to Seattle Children's Hospital, which began offering acupuncture in early 2014, as a model as it develops its Integrative Health Program, Philly.com reports.
While there is little scientific proof that alternative medicine works to cure patients, many people who undergo such practices say it does help to relieve, and sometimes cure, their ailments.
Read more at Philly.com.
