How Babies, Children and Young People can Benefit from Acupuncture

It has become increasingly common for people to seek alternative medicines to improve the health and wellbeing of themselves and their loved ones.

If you are looking for natural alternatives to benefit your child’s health, paediatric Acupuncture is worth considering. It is a gentle, safe and effective way to treat babies, children and young people for various conditions with amazing results.

Qualified and experienced in paediatric Acupuncture, my toolbox is filled with plenty of gentle no-needle techniques including moxa, cupping, shonishin, tuina, acupressure and laser. These are applied at the surface of the skin to deliver the same results as traditional acupuncture. There is a technique to suit every child’s preference, always with the option to have needles or not and treatment is provided in a calm and comfortable space.

Acupuncture is a holistic therapy that draws upon 3000 years of ancient Chinese Medicine knowledge. Stimulation is applied to certain points to restore and regulate the bodies functions by encouraging the relaxation into a self-healing state where the body can focus on recovery and growth.

Chinese Medicine views children as especially ‘yang’ in nature. They need nourishment and care to develop their more immature ‘yin’. In simple terms, treatment helps balance out the energies of yin and yang in the body.

Here are 5 reasons why Acupuncture can benefit young people:

1. It treats the whole person, not only the symptoms

This is especially useful when treating children who find it more difficult to verbalise what is going on and instead express disharmony in more physical ways. Diagnosis involves observing many signs that have relevance to health from the eyes and tongue to complexion, pulse and stature.

The most common complaints we see in clinic involve digestive issues including colic, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and tummy aches; emotional challenges like anxiety, depression, insomnia and challenges associated with ADHD and ADD; pain - from headaches to muscular-skeletal issues. Other complaints include asthma, allergies, bedwetting, ear infections, eczema, fevers and frequent coughs and colds.

Amongst growing research supporting the practise of chinese medicine, evidence is strong for acupuncture in children with chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting and pain.

2. Minimal treatment and no needle options!

Children tend to respond quickly therefore often a shorter length and course of treatments is needed than a typical adult. Because children are very sensitive, minimal treatment is required. A few very fine needles can be used if the child is in agreement, however we have plenty of no-needle techniques that are equally as effective as traditional acupuncture.

Non-invasive techniques involve placing stickers with seeds onto the skin, warming the skin with moxibustion, or using other manual therapies that do not penetrate the skin. Shonishin is a Japanese technique designed especially for children, utilising tools on the surface of the skin, similar to acupressure. Tuina is another therapy often described as a ‘medical massage’, that regulates the body in a similar way to acupuncture.

Treatments last anywhere from 20-40 minutes, generally increasing in duration as the child gets older. Prepare to be surprised at how curious children are! The truth is that most young people love their treatment time, and often choose to try out needles after a few sessions, especially once they notice the difference they feel after treatment.

3. Safe and effective.

Acupuncture is a safe therapy with little side effects and is well tolerated by children. The incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted procedures for the same conditions. Acupuncture can be used alongside conventional treatment to support recovery and people often seek out treatment to ease the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

4. Suitable for all ages.

Acupuncture is suitable for all ages, from newborns right up to late teenage years. Treatment takes place wherever the patient is most comfortable, whether relaxing on the treatment couch, or often for younger patients on the lap of a parent or playing with toys on the floor. We do not expect or need a child to sit still for long periods of time!

5. Learn techniques to take home.

All treatments are carried out by a qualified paediatric acupuncturist and some techniques can be taught to care-givers to perform at home, such as a tailored tuina routine or prescribed acupressure points. Parents can also take home customised dietary and lifestyle advice to help support the development of a child between treatments.

If you are wondering whether Acupuncture or other Chinese Medicine techniques could benefit your baby, child or teen, please contact us to find out more. Liberty offers a free 15-minute discovery call to all new enquiries.

To book, contact Walnut Grove Clinic for Portishead, or Liberty for Bristol appointments.