Pediatric care is one of the oldest specialties in Chinese medicine. Children make wonderful patients of Chinese medicine as their developing systems can respond very quickly to subtle changes. Treatments are gentle, comfortable and can serve to prevent the development of disease in the future. My interest in treating children developed when I started to treat my own kids and I discovered how receptive to treatment they were, and how exciting it was to find a way to help them without using pharmaceutical drugs. I have a great track record of helping children to be open to acupuncture through old-fashioned trust building and honesty. Children generally enjoy their treatments, which are soothing and provide a comforting contrast to their experience at doctors' offices. Teenagers and young adults are also welcome.
Many common childhood illnesses and physical symptoms are effectively and safely treated with Chinese medicine, including colds and flus, asthma, digestive/appetite problems, sleeping concerns, mood and emotional, ear infections, developmental concerns and more. The methods that I use to treat children include: Acupuncture, which involves inserting extremely fine, sterile needles into acupuncture points. With children the insertions are very shallow and the needles are generally removed right away so there is no need for the child to stay still for long. Babies and toddlers can be treated while sitting in their parent's lap. Acupuncture needles are only used if the child welcomes their use, and if the condition is appropriate for acupuncture. Cupping is a therapeutic practice in which special glass or plastic cups are placed on the skin with the aid of suction. Cupping is often used for colds and flus, and in cases with excess phlegm or muscle tension. Herbal medicine. I may suggest a homeopathic or pediatric herbal formula for your child. Herbal formulas usually come in a liquid (tincture) form for children. Moxibustion is the practice of heating acupuncture points by burning small cones of a wooly herb called mugwort near or on the skin, creating a pleasant, painless warming sensation. Moxibustion is a traditional practice that has been used for thousands of years throughout Asia. Shonishin, a Japanese pediatric acupuncture therapy that uses no needles, but rather small rounded metal tools to stroke and tap the skin along the meridian pathways. Blockages are cleared and the body systems are balanced. Shonishin is soothing and painless. Acupressure, the treatment of acupuncture points with manual pressure and gentle massage instead of needles. |