Acupuncture for Children
What is Shonishin Acupuncture?Does it hurt?
What conditions can Shonishin treat?
What to expect from Treatment
Home Treatment
What is Shonishin Acupuncture?
Shonishin pediatric acupuncture (sho=little, ni=children, shin=needle) is a specialized form of treatment for infants and children that became renowned in the 1700s in the Osaka region of Japan. To this day, Japanese parents regularly bring children for shonishin treatment, and the shonishin approach is increasing in popularity around the world.
Children’s bio-energetic systems are not fully formed and, being at the most “yang” phase of their existence, their energy (Qi) moves extremely rapidly. Consequently, children’s systems can be easily over stimulated, and health problems can progress rapidly.
Shonishin focuses on gentle, specialized, mostly non-inserted treatment techniques that children find comfortable and even pleasurable. Dramatic results can be obtained even with very light treatment.
Shonishin techniques involve rhythmic stroking, rubbing, tapping, and pressing the skin to give different kinds of gentle stimulation. These techniques harmonize and fortify the child’s vital energy, and strengthen the child’s constitution.
Children’s bio-energetic systems are not fully formed and, being at the most “yang” phase of their existence, their energy (Qi) moves extremely rapidly. Consequently, children’s systems can be easily over stimulated, and health problems can progress rapidly.
Shonishin focuses on gentle, specialized, mostly non-inserted treatment techniques that children find comfortable and even pleasurable. Dramatic results can be obtained even with very light treatment.
Shonishin techniques involve rhythmic stroking, rubbing, tapping, and pressing the skin to give different kinds of gentle stimulation. These techniques harmonize and fortify the child’s vital energy, and strengthen the child’s constitution.
Does it hurt?
This form of Acupuncture is based on the idea that any distress to a child is likely to interfere with any positive healing effect and recognises that children just don't like needles! So the rubbing and tapping is not in the least painful and most children enjoy the experience and become very relaxed during treatment. There are however times that only a needle will do, if this is the case then extremely fine needles are used and a painless method of insertion is employed. Depending on the child I might just show the parent that I want to needle and not involve the child at all, this usually leads to the child not even knowing that they have had a needle in.
What conditions can Shonishin Acupuncture treat?
Shonishin is used to treat a wide variety of problems, including:Failure to thrive syndrome
Weak constitution
Colic, excessive night crying, temper tantrums
Indigestion, GERD, constipation, and diarrhea
Night terrors
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Allergies, asthma, and colds
Eczema and hives
Ear infections
Bedwetting
Stuttering
Cerebral palsy
Spina bifida
.
What to expect from a treatment
Treatment for children is kept reasonably short and I will try to gather as much information as possible on the phone before hand, especially if the child is very young to avoid the child getting bored or nervous.The specifics of the treatment (frequency, dosage, strength) depend on the practitioner, the age, and condition of the child, among other factors. Treatments for children are actually very brief: a typical treatment generally lasts only five to ten minutes. Generally speaking, the older the child, the longer the treatment.
The key to successful Shonishin treatment is “less is better.” The beauty of Shonishin is its simplicity, gentleness, and effectiveness.
Parental Involvement at home
Acupuncture offers a real alternative to medication in the treatment of all kinds of childhood health problems. Behavioural, emotional and physical problems can all be treated using acupuncture.
An enormous benefit in this type of treatment is that parents can actively continue treatment at home. After one or two treatments in clinic I can judge how the child is reacting to the treatment and will be able to show the parent how to apply any treatment at home on a regular basis, this often has extremely good results.
I often use small pellets on a plaster to stimulate a specific acupuncture point which I then ask the parent to replace every few days. This may sound strange but it is actually a very effective treatment.
An enormous benefit in this type of treatment is that parents can actively continue treatment at home. After one or two treatments in clinic I can judge how the child is reacting to the treatment and will be able to show the parent how to apply any treatment at home on a regular basis, this often has extremely good results.
I often use small pellets on a plaster to stimulate a specific acupuncture point which I then ask the parent to replace every few days. This may sound strange but it is actually a very effective treatment.
