When children are born, their body needs to cope with a brand new environment, and sometimes it can take a while for them to adjust and become settled.
Acupuncture and Tuina helps to keep your child’s body in balance and enables them to adjust to the challenges they face through various stages of life from new born right through to the teenage years.
As a Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) practitioner, I am seeing more babies, children and teenagers suffering from a variety of ailments. These include asthma, allergies, eczema, acne, colds, digestive problems (colic, reflux, constipation, diarrhea), poor sleep, bedwetting, behavioural disorders, glue ear and menstrual pain.
Acupuncture is a safe and natural way to help a child’s body to become stronger and to be able to deal with the above mentioned childhood illnesses without the harmful side effects of medication.
Acupuncture is able to treat the root cause of your child’s illness and can be used alongside standard western medicine. The aim is to improve your child’s health so they are less reliant on medication.
What to expect in a treatment?
The initial consultation takes one hour and is focused on gaining an understanding of your child’s overall health and devising a treatment plan to make them stronger and healthier.
Baby’s and children’s meridian channels are not yet fully developed as they are still growing. This requires a different type of acupuncture treatment that would be applied to adults. Treatments are also of a shorter duration, generally between 10 – 30 minutes depending on the age of the child.
What methods of treatment are used?
There are a number of methods that can be applied to babies and children. Four of the most common methods used at Mei Ling Acupuncture are described below.
‘Taps’ (Fine Needles)
Firstly, this method involves massaging the area of the body to be needled. Secondly, the use of very fine paediatric needles are gently tapped in and immediately removed. This technique is quick and often goes unnoticed by babies and children.
When talking to children the word ‘taps’ is used when discussing the application of the needles. This is so the children are less likely to associate the acupuncture needles with the pain caused by the thick hypodermic needles used for vaccinations and blood tests.
Laser Acupuncture
For children who have a fear of needles, laser acupuncture can be used instead of needles. It is a completely pain free method. This technique is applied to the same acupuncture points that would be used for needles. The only difference is that the laser is held in place for up to 30 seconds.
Tuina Massage
All treatments will be supported by tuina massage. Parents and caregivers can be taught how to apply specific tuina massage techniques to their children to keep them healthy.
Dietary and Lifestyle Advice
All treatments will also be supported by dietary and lifestyle advice based on traditional chinese medicine. The dietary advice will be based on the type of food, how it should be prepared and eaten to maximise the nourishment your child receives to help them recover from illness and to remain healthy. Herbs and natural supplements may also be recommended.
Please call us on 04 499 9062 or email us at hello@meilingacupuncture.com
if you would like to arrange a time to have a free 15 minute chat about how we can help with your child’s health.
PHONE 04 499 9062
SUITE 1, LEVEL 10 PETHERICK TOWER
38 WARING TAYLOR STREET, WELLINGTON
© MEI LING ACUPUNCTURE.
