Acupuncture for Children
Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for all ages.
Children can be extremely responsive to very gentle, minimal treatment. This means that we can treat issues and imbalances in a simple way before they become deeper seated. Medications and their side effects or other compounding situations can often complicate conditions, similarly to what we often see in adult or chronic issues.T
Also, of course, any problem affecting a child affects the whole family! So often by relieving the child’s symptoms, we are also treating the parents’ stress and health- so everyone’s a winner!
The main technique used by Lilja Katanka for children is a Japanese technique called Shonishin. Shonishin takes advantage of children’s sensitivity to re-balance their energy, and usually does not even involve needles.
The aim of treatment is to fortify the child’s vital energy and strengthen their constitution. Treatment will not only help symptoms to naturally improve, but will give a greater sense of well-being, and help strengthen the body’s natural healing abilities, helping make the child less prone to illness.
Shonishin, like Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a holistic means of treating an individual.
Each child will be treated as a unique case and have their treatment tailored specifically for them. The frequency, dosage and strength of therapy, for example, will depend on the individual’s constitution, medical history, age, and symptoms.
As with adult acupuncture, Shonishin has been seen to offer a safe and viable alternative to pharmaceuticals in the treatment a wide range of problems- from behavioural and emotional imbalances to more physical conditions.
Conditions treated
- colic
- indigestion
- GERD
- allergies
- asthma
- eczema
- constipation & diarroea
- hives
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- stuttering
- bed wetting
What to expect
A basic Shonishin treatment involves asking questions, observation of the child, pulse or stomach diagnosis and then treatment. The core of the Shonishin treatment method is a “root treatment”, which involves the practitioner applying light stimulation to the body surface in set patterns, using tools and hands.
A child’s treatments will usually be short in duration, often taking only a few minutes for infants or toddlers, with older children potentially requiring longer treatments. The younger the child, the gentler the treatment applied.
A tiny ball may be taped to certain acupuncture points for extra stimulation, or gentle cupping or indirect moxibustion (a warming technique) may be used to complement the treatment.
The treatment is quite simple and most children really enjoy it. Home treatments are also often taught to the parents after one or two sessions so that the Shonishin therapy can continue between sessions. This allows the parents to continue treatment under the supervision of the practitioner with some regularity and also encourages the bond between a parent and their child.
In older children, where problems are more difficult or stubborn, specific, very gentle acupuncture techniques, employing specialised needles, may be used to supplement the general Shonishin treatment. This type of treatment is also well tolerated by the older child. They sometimes request the needles as they like the tingling feeling.
Alternatively, another tool we can use to avoid needles is the much more modern invention of “Cold Laser” Acupuncture (PhotoBioModulation/ LLLT). This uses a low-energy laser beam—instead of traditional acupuncture needles—to influence acupuncture points. The healing power of lasers was discovered over 40 years ago and is becoming more and more popular as the research grows. The healing power of lasers was discovered over 40 years ago and is becoming more and more popular as the research grows.
Do get in touch if you’d like to know more about how Acupuncture or Shonishin could help you or your child.
Lilja Katanka, MBAcC looks forward to meeting you!
lilja@lifeisforlivingwell.co.uk
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