Acupuncture is a natural and safe method of treating various health conditions that cause chronic pain. Contrary to popular belief, it is safe for children because it merely triggers the body’s self-healing abilities. A baby can benefit from treatment right from birth and continue with sessions throughout their childhood. You can reduce the need for invasive medical interventions and strong medication through traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture specifically. Pediatric acupuncturists use very fine needles and insert them skillfully to ensure the patient experiences very little pain. Your child will only feel a tingle similar to a mosquito bite.

Treatment sessions can provide specific instant results. However, it is also not uncommon for the first few treatments to show no outcome or for patients to feel worse before getting better. You must understand that acupuncture mainly works through cumulative improvements. Therefore, it may take several appointments for a patient to appreciate the treatment truly. Practitioners don’t retain the needles or manipulate them when treating kids. This ensures no scarring or marks afterward.

About Acupuncture for kids

Acupuncture is an ancient form of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) dated over 3,000 years ago. The practice involves inserting thin needles along specific points of the body. The treatment triggers a profound psychological response from a patient’s central nervous system, relieving symptoms like pain and nausea. Better still, acupuncture targets energy highways and stimulates muscles, blood vessels, and nerves to encourage the body to heal itself naturally.

Some of the common conditions in children that acupuncture can treat include:

  • Back and neck aches
  • Headaches
  • Sleep problems
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Digestive issues
  • Asthma
  • Allergies and respiratory disorders
  • Juvenile fibromyalgia
  • Mood disorders
  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
  • Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome

The body has 2,000+ acupuncture points linked through meridians or pathways. These meridians are energy highways called Qi (“chee”), and any blockages along the paths can cause imbalances and overall health problems. Acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system and improves energy flow through the meridians. Consequently, the body can regulate its systems and repair itself for general physical and emotional well-being.

Here is how treatments bring a kid’s body back to a homeostasis (balanced) state:

  • Stimulates the brain to produce endorphins (body’s natural painkillers)
  • Encourages the release of neurotransmitters (chemicals controlling nerve impulses)
  • Triggers a rebalance by unleashing the body’s self-healing power
  • Relaxes the ligaments, nerves, tendons, and muscles
  • Clears energy pathways to increase blood flow and help the body fight illness and symptoms

The Benefits of Acupuncture for Children

Acupuncture is safe and only results in a few temporary side effects that last for 30 to 60 minutes maximum. During the initial consultation, the acupuncturist will consider your child’s health needs and the severity of symptoms. This will make it easier to decide on the ideal number of sessions and their frequency. Another aspect that may dictate the perfect length of treatment is how your child’s body reacts to each session.

Some of the side effects that only occur in a small number of patients include:

  • Minor bruising or bleeding
  • Weakness, drowsiness, or fainting
  • Worsening symptoms (notify your acupuncturist immediately if this happens)

The first treatment appointment will likely last for an hour. However, subsequent sessions could last for about 30 minutes. Practitioners are gentle when treating kids, so you don’t have to worry about significant bruising or scarring.

You can reduce the likelihood of your child feeling weak after sessions by ensuring they eat before treatment and take plenty of water right afterward. Another tip that may come in handy is to dress your child in loose and comfortable clothing. Make sure they rest well after treatment and avoid strenuous activities.

Let’s now acquaint ourselves with the 10 top benefits of acupuncture for children:

Improved Healing After Treatment Procedures

Acupuncture points stimulate the nervous system to release chemicals to their brain, spinal code, and muscles. The released biochemical unleashes the natural ability of the body to heal itself. Consequently, patients experience an overall enhancement of their physical and emotional well-being after treatments.

If your child has undergone surgery, cancer therapy, or any other form of medical treatment, you can accelerate their healing process through acupuncture. The practice works well individually and even better when combined with other forms of treatment. In any case, conventional medicine works better when the body is free of blockages along the energy highways.

Enhanced Immune System

Your child’s immune system is their body’s first line of defense against infections and diseases. An effective and proper functioning immune system can kick out organisms posing health threats before they become a problem. By resetting the body and balancing its energy, acupuncture can ensure that your little one enjoys optimal health for longer.

So, what makes acupuncture so effective?

Compared to western medicine, acupuncture works better at restoring overall health. While conventional medicine targets the symptoms of a disease, Chinese medicine focuses on the root cause of a health problem. For instance, some autoimmune diseases stem from an overactive immune system. While conventional medicine aims to suppress the immune system to alleviate symptoms, acupuncture will focus on amending the issue causing an overactive immune system.

Moreover, acupuncture boosts immune cells to ensure accelerated healing and better health for longer. It also regulates the immune response system, improving how your child’s cells communicate with each other to build a strong defense against infections. Generally, sessions can reduce your child’s susceptibility to illnesses.

Relief From Allergies

Allergy medications coupled with acupuncture treatments can be particularly beneficial to allergy sufferers. According to research conducted by the University Medical Center in Berlin, acupuncture can treat seasonal allergies. However, the effectiveness of treatment may highly depend on the skillfulness of the practitioner you choose.

For the best outcome, make sure you schedule treatment for your child before the allergy season. This may ensure that acupuncture treats the root cause of allergies before the attacks begin.

Mood Enhancement

Unfortunately, not even children are immune to emotional disorders. Like teens and young adults, children can display a broad spectrum of behaviors and emotions that affect how they relate with others. It is common for mood disorders to stem from disharmony among different body energies.

If your child is displaying uncontrollable or unexplained mood changes, it may be time to consider acupuncture. It could be that your child is highly violent or even angry for no apparent reason. Treatment sessions can help reset the body and restore a proper balance of energy hence triggering generally enhanced moods.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The brain is an organ like any other. Therefore, it could fall sick, triggering mental and well-being concerns like anxiety and depression. Again, not even children are immune to such health concerns.

It is a good idea to consider acupuncture treatments, especially if your child has experienced a traumatic event. Sometimes, children may seem depressed out of nowhere because of exams, school auditions, or even high-level competitions. Through treatment sessions, acupuncture will help your little one’s body rebalance and distress, restoring their energy, self-confidence, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose.

Relief From Chronic Fatigue

It is not normal for children to feel fatigued all the time, especially in the absence of stannous physical activities. Even though fatigue is physical in its manifestation, it often stems from a mental or emotional concern. Again, a proper balance in the body’s energy can play a significant role in making your little one feel more energized.

Generally, acupuncture treatment gives young patients a good energy boost. Unblocking clogged meridians helps to fight off exhaustion and brain fog. Moreover, it ensures that all organs function correctly for an overall healthy feel. Patients attest to better mental clarity after treatments, which boosts their general productivity.

Sleep Quality Improvement

It is normal and expected of parents to struggle with their infant’s sleep patterns, especially during the first weeks of life. In most cases, the issue addresses itself naturally, and the baby can sleep through the night and several times during daylight hours. In some cases, poor sleep patterns persist for years.

Teenagers can struggle with sleep problems, more so if they’re also battling other issues such as mood disorders, anxiety, stress, or depression. A skilled acupuncturist can diagnose the concern and recommend acupuncture if necessary. Note that quality sleep is vital for your child’s overall health and wellness.

Acupuncture promotes enhanced sleep quality by triggering an increased production of melatonin. This is a hormone produced by the body that helps to regulate proper sleep-wake patterns. When the hormone is produced in appropriate quantities, it treats insomnia, helps a patient fall asleep quicker, and reduces the frequency of waking up at night. In short, acupuncture can help your child restore the natural ability of their body to fall asleep quickly and remain asleep for a reasonable number of hours.

Alleviated Eating and Digestive Issues

Children that develop concerns with their relationship with food and overall eating habits tend not to enjoy the best health. If you often find yourself on a battlefield with your little one during feeding time, it may be time to talk to an acupuncturist.

Children are prone to eating disorders and digestive problems. Again, these issues iron out naturally during the first few months of life. If your baby still seems colicky or often suffers from constipation, unexplained diarrhea bouts, and a sore tummy, this may indicate an imbalance in their body.

Acupuncture can restore the healthy functions of the digestive system and the organs responsible for ensuring proper food digestion. Rebalancing the body’s energy fields can naturally alleviate all sorts of digestive concerns and even boost a healthy appetite. Your child will enjoy a healthier tummy, consequently restoring a sense of normality to the entire family.

Better Skin Health

Skin conditions like acne, rashes, and eczema are unpleasant and impact your child’s self-confidence. While it always makes sense to visit a doctor for in-depth diagnosis and treatment, acupuncture can help ensure your little one enjoys long-lasting relief. Often, skin problems arise from some sort of overheating within the body. Acupuncture rebalances the “Yang and Ying” (hot and cold) energies for healthier and better-looking skin.

Lessen the Severity Of ADHD

Numerous scientific research results back up the benefits of acupuncture treatments in kids. Sessions with an acupuncturist are safe, effective, minimally invasive, and affordable. Parents must consider the perks of coupling conventional ADHD medicine with acupuncture treatments.

According to age-old Chinese wisdom, the body is a collection of numerous energy fields. When the energy remains well-balanced and flows correctly, you will experience a better state of health. On the other hand, energy blockages can throw you into a disease-ridden state. Acupuncture works by clearing the blockages to allow your child’s body to be at its best physical and emotional state.

That said, acupuncture sessions can lessen the severity of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) symptoms. Often, Chinese medicine practitioners use a range of practices to clear toxins and balance brain chemicals. The treatment stimulates the production of serotonin, a hormone that addresses over-amped neurochemicals and promotes relaxation to ease ADHD symptoms.

Acupuncture has numerous amazing effects in kids, just like in adults. Treatment can alleviate pain and a range of other conditions, allowing your little one to enjoy a generally improved quality of life. If you are not sure whether your child can benefit from acupuncture, schedule for consultation with an acupuncture specialist.

Find An Acupuncturist For Children Near Me

Traditional Chinese Medicine offers an effective, holistic approach to healing, health, and overall well-being. The primary goal of acupuncture is to restore the body’s healthy energy balance. The best part is that it targets the whole body even though patients merely notice the reduced symptoms. Restoring proper energy balance within the body promotes head-toe health, and any signs of illness your child is experiencing may go away naturally. If you have questions about acupuncture for children or wish to book a treatment appointment in Torrance, CA, we encourage you to visit Trinity Acupuncture. You could also call us at 310-371-1777 for a no-obligation consultation.