paediatric conditions

Most kids hate needles. They’re scary and they hurt. Trying to convince them that acupuncture doesn’t hurt, that they’re ‘good’ needles is often a lost cause. So I don’t even try. I just don’t use needles to treat kids. Simple.

There’s a long tradition in the Japanese school of acupuncture called shonishin, which basically means paediatric treatment. This school uses zero needling on kids. None. Rather, they use a variety of tools to treat the body from the surface; gentle scraping, twirling a blunt needle-like tool on acupuncture points, and massage are the main techniques. All very tolerable by little ones. My daughter puts up with it and that’s saying something!

I started learning shonishin because I wanted to be able to treat my daughter, and she doesn’t like needles. What I found was a remarkably gentle set of techniques that can be amazingly effective for kids. The great thing about treating kids is that they respond incredibly quickly to treatment. They get sick quickly, get better quickly. You’ll typically see some kind of response if not immediately, then by the next morning. This doesn’t mean treatment is all done, but it does mean we’re on the right track.

This style of treatment is super gentle, and super fast. Kids don’t put up with hour-long appointments, and I won’t make them. I try my best to make treatment fun, and help them look forward to it. I’ll happily sit on the floor if it means I get more engagement from a child… even if flexibility is not my strong suit.

What can shonishin treat in kids? The theory is remarkably simple. If the child is sleeping well, eating (and digesting) well, and well loved; they will thrive. They will get over anything at all. A standard treatment covers the first two jobs, the last is up to you, parents. But it’s a pretty good job, isn’t it.

The range of treatable conditions is vast, from behavioural problems to skin conditions. Listing them all here would be pointless. Give your local acupuncturist a call and have a chat with them about it, or contact us using our contact forms. We’d love to get to know you and your family.