[Health Tip] "My Child Isn't Growing Taller"... How Does Korean Medicine Treat This?

If a child is shorter than their peers, parents can be very worried. We looked into how Korean medicine improves pediatric growth with the help of Bang Miran, a professor in the Department of Korean Pediatrics at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital.

Bang Mi-ran, Professor, Department of Korean Pediatrics, Gangdong Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital

Growth disorders refer to cases where short stature is due to genetic tendencies or constitution. This is defined as an annual growth rate below the 25th percentile among 100 children of the same age and gender, or less than 4 cm per year.

According to the Korean Standard Clinical Practice Guidelines, Korean medicine treatments for pediatric and adolescent growth disorders include herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and myofascial release manual therapy. Professor Bang stated, “In a study involving 116 idiopathic short stature patients visiting the Korean pediatrics department, herbal medicine treatment combined with moxibustion and auricular acupuncture when necessary resulted in an average growth improvement of 1.5% to 1.9% in boys and 1.4% to 2.1% in girls.” Children typically visited about three times a year, and after an average of one year of treatment, the predicted height for boys increased slightly from 162.5 cm to 163.3 cm, showing little difference, but for girls, it increased from 152.9 cm to 154.8 cm.

Professor Bang said, “Even when undergoing growth hormone therapy, combining it with herbal medicine treatment can lead to more effective growth.” He explained, “According to comparative and cost-effectiveness studies on Korean medicine treatment for idiopathic short stature, the one-year growth rate compared to no treatment was on average 2.31 cm for herbal medicine treatment, 4.84 cm for growth hormone therapy, and 6.57 cm when both herbal medicine and growth hormone were used together, indicating that combined treatment is more effective than single treatment.”

Besides treatment, improving lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise is also important for height growth. Professor Bang advised, “Carbonated and caffeinated drinks can cause calcium loss and nutritional imbalance, so excessive consumption should be avoided. It is important to plan a diet that includes a balanced intake of nutrients such as calcium, protein, minerals, and vitamins. For physical activity, at least 60 minutes of aerobic exercise daily is recommended.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.