Healthy Children with Chinese Medicine
Using Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs in Pediatrics
Jan 13, 2009
Based on folk medicine stemming from 2,000 years ago Traditional Chinese Medicine has evolved into a complex system of addressing the body's complaints. Children respond especially well to TCM modalities such as Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. They are also fond of pressure point therapies such as TuiNa and Shiatsu.
A practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine will treat children differently than adults. Pediatric sessions may be shorter, use fewer needles for Acupuncture or milder herbs for Chinese Herbs. According to Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children [1999 Scott & Barlow, Eastland Press] Chinese medicine has viewed pediatrics as a "specialized subject in Chinese medicine since the Song dynasty (960-1279)."
Needle and Needle-Free Acupuncture Techniques
Depending on the practitioner a pediatric patient of acupuncture has the choice between needles and needle-free techniques. The acupuncture needles are thin and very gentle. Not all Acupuncturists will use needles for pediatric sessions.
Needle-free acupuncture treatments may include tools such as brushes, rollers and blunt probes. This and finger and hand pressure is used in the Japanese form of pediatric acupuncture called Shonishin. In Shonishin acupuncture it is thought that infants and young children can easily transmit healing effects of meridian and point stimulation without requiring the skin to be pierced.
Another needle-free method is to use cutaneous magnet therapy on the acupuncture points and meridians. A low frequency is sent to the magnets which tap very lightly and gently on these points to stimulate in place of a needle or probe.
Moxa is generally not used until the child can sit still and communicate to the practitioner when the burning herb is too warm. Plasters and other herbs which are not heated may also be used depending on the treatment style of the practitioner and the health concerns presented.
Finding a TCM Practitioner for Children
When looking for a qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner a parent will want to know if the Acupuncturist has pediatric training and experience. Not every TCM training program or school offers pediatric courses so a practitioner may have to seek continuing education after graduating.
What to Expect with a Pediatric TCM Treatment
The parent or guardian can put his mind at rest with a practitioner that specializes in pediatric modalities. In many cases the mother will receive acupuncture as well as the child because Chinese medicine believes that the child receives energy from his parents in the first years of his life.
After the initial consultation and health history intake form the acupuncturist will conduct a series of testing to determine the energetic health of the child. The practitioner is making observations of the child's:
- face - coloring
- brightness or dullness in the eyes
- veins in the fingers and wrists
- the tongue - using Oriental tongue diagnosis
- the nose - observing any discharge or irritations
- and the ears - noticing any discharge and size of the ear
Depending on the goals and needs of a child or teen the treatments may be shorter than an adult would receive. Parents are encouraged to be active participants in the health of their children with Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Acupuncture can easily be used alongside Western medicine, or as a standalone treatment for a multitude of childhood conditions.
References:
- Keeping Your Child Healthy with Chinese Medicine by Bob Flaws, Blue Poppy Press 1996, ISBN 0936185716.
- Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children by Julian Scott and Teresa Barlow, Eastland Press 1999 third edition, ISBN 0939616300.
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