Can Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine be Used for Children?

Acupuncture and herbal medicine are both safe and effective modalities for children of all ages into adult hood. Acupuncture and related therapies can be done starting in babies at 4-8 weeks old. Acupuncture needles are not always used in treatment. The main style of treatment used in pediatrics is called “sho ni shin.”  

What is Sho Ni Shin?

Sho Ni Shin is a gentle, needle-free technique used in pediatric acupuncture. This method employs small metal tools to stimulate the skin, offering similar benefits to needles without discomfort, making it ideal for children aged 1 month to 7 years. With skin conditions, it is not best practice to stimulate the skin as it could be uncomfortable for the child and make the condition worse. When needles are used on children they are very small and are painless. 

How effective is this therapy? How often is treatment necessary? 

Children have a miraculous ability to heal and grow… quickly! They are constantly growing in all different ways, but sometimes growth spurts can leave them “unevenly” developed. This can cause imbalances in the body and they can experience problems such as being colicky, picky eating, low appetite, behavioral problems, getting sick often, diarrhea and constipation along with other common symptoms. 

This energetic therapy is very effective in children due to the nature of how quickly they are growing. The more a child comes in for treatment in the beginning, the more successful treatment is. When a child first goes to see a TCM practitioner they may recommend they come in 2-3 days a week for 4-6 weeks until change is made. Progress is looked at and the child’s symptoms are reassessed. Often times this has made enough change that treatments can drop down to 1 x per week. However, if we notice a decline in healing then it may be recommended to go back up to 2-3 days per week, until symptoms stabilize. Adding in herbal medicine will help to push treatments forward as the child can then receive internal medicine at home along with the energetic treatments in office. 

Is Acupuncture Painful for Children?

Most parents have had the trauma of their child getting a shot, either having to hold them down or watching them be held down as vaccines are administered. Usually, children are scared of the word “needle” and the concept because of their past experiences with vaccinations, finger pricks or getting their blood drawn. An acupuncture need is not similar to this experience at all. 

Acupuncture needles for children are extremely thin and usually painless. Techniques like Sho Ni Shin and minimal needle use ensure treatments are comfortable and well-tolerated, even for nervous kids. Once they get above 7-years-old it is better to use needles but can ease them into using needles and only use 1-2 at a time. They are often not retained in the skin meaning the first needle is put in for a minute or less, and then taken out before the next needle is inserted. 

What Conditions Can Pediatric Acupuncture Help With?

Acupuncture and herbal medicine support a wide range of childhood issues, including:

1. Behavioral problems: difficulty concentrating, ADD and ADHD, emotional distress 

2. Sleep disorders: bed wetting, nightmares, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep 

3. Digestion: food aversions, loose stools, constipation, IBS, painful stomach, low appetite, weight loss or weight gain 

4. Upper respiratory: colds and flus, asthma, phlegmy cough, dry cough, post COVID recovery, support with active COVID 

What does pediatric TCM diagnosis look like? 

1. Finger vein is assessed in the 3 gates 

2. Palpation: lymph nodes, abdomen, spine and pulse 

3. Body temperature: even body temperature or areas that are cold or hot 

4. Facial diagnosis: color, appearance of shan gen over the bridge of the nose, color of cheeks and around the mouth 

5. Shen in a child: how they behave and operate; do they walk right into the office, start going through the cabinets are they more shy, talkative or reserved, do they prefer to play with others or by themselves, how do they act around strangers, what type of play do they prefer 

6. Questioning around appetite, food aversions and favorites, digestion, bowel movements, urination, sleep, potty training and bed wetting, body temperature and sweating, vaccination schedule, emotional tendencies, frequency of upper respiratory infections, what is their activity level like