Pediatric Grand Rounds: Integrative Medicine in Pediatrics

Dr. Sara Ptasnik is an integrative health physician, triple-board certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Integrative Medicine. She completed her medical education at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, followed by her residency at LAC+USC Medical Center. More recently, Dr. Ptasnik completed her fellowship at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, where she gained expertise in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory within a biomedical framework. Her training also included specialized techniques in soft tissue and myofascial pain treatment and understanding the overlap with myofascial trigger points and TCM imbalances.

As a faculty member at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, Dr. Ptasnik is also establishing an integrative pediatric and adolescent program that emphasizes a holistic, family-centered approach to both common and hard-to-treat conditions. Additionally, she is developing an online curriculum aimed at teaching integrative pediatric principles to youth and their families, focusing on mental health support and chronic illness prevention.