I am often asked whether children can, or should, get acupuncture. Well, the quick answer is yes. :) Obviously, in China, children get acupuncture all the time! In the United States, the idea is going to take some time to get used to – but I have seen kids at the school clinic and I have friends who are practitioners who see children regularly. The key is this: the kid is likely to match the energy of the parent with regards to fear/openness to acupuncture. If you build it up to be a huge deal, they’re going to think it’s a huge deal. In China, it’s not a huge deal, it’s a way of life. Like Western medicine, Chinese medicine has pediatric study and Chinese medicine excels at treating common childhood conditions like fevers, contagious diseases (Chickenpox, etc) and appetite/digestion problems.
There are obviously differences in how children are diagnosed and treated. The quickest example that comes to mind is the fact that children’s’ heart rates are much higher which must be accounted for in pulse taking. In treatment, needling must be done with appreciation for the child’s age. Infants can be needled with no pretense, as they don’t yet have psychological barriers to needles. Unfortunately, it’s a little difficult to get them to stay still long enough! But my understanding is that a quick in-and-out insertion is all that is needed to have a great effect. Why is this?
In Chinese medicine circles, sometimes it is said that children are “all Yang,” I’ve also heard it as “all Wood.” Now, of course, all organisms must have a balance of all the elemental energies to be existing, so what does this mean? Infants and children are in a very rapid phase of growth, obviously. All the body systems are maturing, all the body tissues are dividing and connecting and reconnecting, cognition is rapidly advancing. This is a very Yang process! It also mimics the energy of weeds taking over a patch of recently disturbed Earth. One day it’s bare ground, the next day it’s covered with green things! That’s certainly been MY experience of the growth of my daughter! :) Because of this high energy state, only a very brief contact with the needles is necessary to send a message to the body.
My daughter has had acupuncture on several occasions. She’s 10, so has well-established fears about sharp things. I think her first time was also difficult because of the foreignness of everything in the office – the smells, sights, sounds – everything was outside of her everyday experience. Because of her tenseness about the procedure, the doctor did a lot of work to reassure and distract her. He chose only one point to needle at first, and told her that if she was ok, he would do one more. After some deep breathing and gentle conversation, she was ready. She barely felt the needle and had a nearly instant change in her countenance. She was calm and ready for the rest of the treatment. She responded very well to the treatment overall and was fine with going back on a couple of separate occasions, all successful treatments.
I think it’s actually an incredible idea to have young people get acupuncture. I can think of a few reasons why.
- Many childhood illnesses are poorly treated by Western medicine. I’m thinking here of common colds and other viral and bacterial troubles. Antibiotics are heavy handed, and although “just go home and drink plenty of fluids” is great advice, Chinese medicine can offer symptom relief that both treats the cause and avoids side effects.
- Adult emotional and psychological problems often begin with issues in childhood. Working these out with an acupuncturist while the person is young means they don’t have to suffer those adult problems. A problem is always easier to deal with when it is still small.
- Getting them used to alternative medical treatment early on means that they are probably more likely to use these treatments when they are older. So, you are setting your child up for health success.
- Working on their overall balance will help them resist the many insults their system endures by being in contact with so many kids, with the weather and with all the other trials and tribulations young people are exposed to every day.
- It is a low-cost and low-risk way to help them have an ideally healthy childhood.
- It’s easier to get them to take a needle than to take herbs. :D Trust me.
Has your child had acupuncture? Let me know your experience in the comments.
Tags: Acupuncture, children
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
strange, I am pretty shocked to hear that even children can develop such kind of diseases
My son is 11. I don’t like labels, but to understand our challenge , i’m going to call it Adhd. He has too much energy. I learned that he’s running on his adrenals. He’s classically constipated, poor appetite for wholesome food, can’t get to sleep at night easily, and has impulsive thoughts. He’s on 2 herbs by droppers and has had 4 Acupuncture treatments. He doesn’t like the needles but the acupuncturist is calm, kind and ensuring. I think he has an underlying interest in what’s going on. Also I bribe him with a few dollars. We’re not there yet but have taken care of the constipation problem and better diet choices are starting to take shape.