Many people think that acupuncture is not an appropriate form of therapy for children because they assume it causes them pain and suffering or that they would object to the treatment. This couldn’t be further away from the truth when it comes to Shonishin, a Japanese type of pediatric acupuncture. It was developed about 3 centuries ago by Japanese acupuncture masters, adapted to the needs of babies and children and has been used with great success to date. The magic of this treatment is that children absolutely love it and want to come back, while it calms babies down along with their parents.
Babies and children are sensitive and receptive and they tend to respond very quickly to the treatment. They display amazing results despite it being the least invasive type of acupuncture, where hardly any needles penetrate the skin. With special tools that are simply touching the skin, and with the practitioner’s knowledge and sensitivity, the child’s immune system responds very fast and with long-lasting effects. Pediatric acupuncture is important not only because it alleviates the symptoms of the patient but more so because it sets the foundation for a healthy life by preventing the progression of the condition into a deeper and more severe pathology.
The treatment for babies and children is very brief (5-15 minutes long), it uses gentle techniques with specialized treatment tools for surface stimulation, it is not painful or scary, it takes place within the presence of the parent-carer and like all acupuncture treatments, needs to be applied within regular time intervals depending on the nature of the problem. The result is strengthened natural healing abilities of the body. Examples of conditions that can be treated with Shonishin include digestive problems, abnormal sleep patterns, hyperactivity, respiratory conditions such as childhood asthma, skin problems, frequent colds, behavioral problems, etc.
Acupuncture can be particularly useful for adolescents as well. In particular girls very frequently experience problems with menstruation, be it irregular, painful, too heavy or too light. Acupuncture treatment can regulate menstruation, enhance the ability to function normally during menstruation and prevent future problems of the reproductive system without unnecessary side effects.