Pediatric Acupuncture: Will My Children Really Benefit From It?

Below I have listed a few common questions I get from parents before they bring their child in for acupuncture.

Can acupuncture help your child?

Absolutely! Acupuncture has no age limits, it is great for everyone! Children don’t usually have many chronic issues, but many children suffer from different ailments just like adults do! I see many children with digestion issues, skin irritations, excess mucus and even some children with anxiety. Children are lucky because they usually respond very well and very quickly to acupuncture.

Is it Safe?

Acupuncture is 100% safe for children of all ages. Most children love acupuncture and ask to come back.

What’s a treatment like?

Treating children is definitely different than treating adults because you never know whats going to happen! Children are very yang in nature, which means that they have a lot of energy and don’t like to sit still for long! Usually when children come in for the first time I will say a quick hello to them before asking them if they want to play with some toys. While they are playing I like to talk to the parents about what is going on and why they decided to bring their children in for treatment.

After this I try to explain to the child a bit about whats going on. I never lie to children, if I do I will lose their trust and they will never want to come back! I usually tell them that they are going to get treatment but they are still allowed to play. Depending on the age there can be different types of needling techniques or modalities used. I usually work with the child to feel out how they will react to the needles and then take it from there! Some children love sitting with the needles in and taking a nap while others prefer to play while they are in. If children try needles (or “taps” and I was trained to call them) they usually get a small treat to take home as long as its ok with mom or dad.

What kind of recommendations are typically made for children?

The number one recommendation I have for children is usually dietary changes. For example, even though children are taught to have milk at a young age, children digestive systems aren’t made to handle dairy that heavy. Most times children that are taken off dairy see a big change in their symptoms.

I also like to recommend different essential oils, especially if children are having skin irritations or difficulty with sleep. A little essential oil can go a long way.
          
Will children really try acupuncture and why?

The great thing about children is that they aren’t afraid of needles! Fear is learned and because of that many children don’t worry about coming to acupuncture the first time, they just know this is something that will make them feel better. The older a child gets, the more likely they are to be slightly resistant to acupuncture, which is ok!

There are many other tools and modalities that can be used during a treatment with children. Many times I will do a gentle massage, use special tools to activate a channel or use some gentle essential oils to stimulate the meridians that are necessary to help the child feel better. Children want to feel good because they want to go and play with their friends and have fun, they don’t like feeling under the weather. When children have had acupuncture before what they think about is that they get to play with toys for an hour, get a little treatment while playing and when they leave they feel better!

Want to know if acupuncture is right for your child?

Call to set up an appointment or a free consult today 516.884.5215