Yes, we treat babies and young children with Acupuncture!

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And yes, they love it!

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Treatment for babies and children should be gentle, short and usually involves only non-puncturing "skin needling". Babies and young children benefit from acupuncture just as much as adults!

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Non-Puncturing Acupuncture?

Yes, acupuncture “needles” are often assumed to be all about...  ...puncturing. This is a reasonable assumption given the word “acupuncture”.

 

But the actual Japanese/ Chinese word for this medicine does not include the word puncture at all. (Read ShinKyu - What's in a Name? for more on this bad "translation"and the misunderstanding it leads to.)

 

As a result most people are surprised to hear that many of the tools of acupuncture, are for use on the surface of the skin only. 

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Sensitive

Children and babies are very sensitive to any kind of stimulation generally. As a result the amount and duration of stimulation needed to produce an effective result is far less than that for an adult. Surface stimulation with non-puncturing needles is more than sufficient. Children also love Moxa - a fantastic treatment to warm the areas selected for treatment in a specific way. 

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Mother-Child Relationship

One of the foundation stones of Acupuncture Theory is called the Five Phases. This system describes the web of inter-relationships between the individual parts of a whole system.

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The principal relationships are of Support (strengthening) and Control (subduing).

 

Support and nurturing, arguably the fundamental relationship in Acupuncture, is represented as that between Mother and Child.

 

Within the Body

In Acupuncture, the Five Phase system describes the intricate web of interaction between the various organs of the body. In its simplest application, the organ system most in need of support (the 'Child') is treated, together with its 'Mother' organ.

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Child is sick? Treat the Mother

It is easy to understand that when a child is sick and needs more support, it is a good idea to treat not only the child, but the mother too. The mother will be (more) worried (than usual) and working hard(er than usual) to look after the child.

 

This usually means she is probably not sleeping properly, and possibly not eating properly. If the mother can receive restorative attention, the child will benefit from better care and attention.

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Mother is sick? Treat the Child

When the mother is sick, again, it is a good idea to treat both mother and child. Treatment for the child will reduce its demand on the attentions of the mother and also help to prevent the child from falling sick. 

Mothers are highly sensitive to the state of their babies. If the baby is treated, the mother will automatically feel better as this natural attuned sense will allow her to relax more, knowing that the child is well cared for. (This attunement runs the other way too - hence treating the mother when the child is sick.)