Treating Mental Health with Acupuncture
Maybe it’s your first-time hearing of acupuncture for children when you happen to stumble upon this article. I know that normally when you hear of the word acupuncture, you will think about the elderly and lots of small needles. Acupuncture Services is a traditional Chinese practice that involves the insertion of very fine needles in strategic points through the skin. It is commonly used to treat pain but can also be effective in treating other ailments and even reduce stress. Though this is a thousand-year form of Chinese medicine, it has increased in popularity in the West due to the demand of a more holistic approach due to the belief that pharmaceuticals are proving to be more harmful than beneficial to most people.
Normally, you would not think of acupuncture as treatment for headaches, stomachaches, back pain and even depression of your kids and probably will resort to over-the-counter medications to alleviate the pain. Parents tend to think that kids are afraid of needles and since acupuncture is a treatment that uses needles, kids will not like it or do it.
Acupuncture for children, also known as Shonishin is a form of acupuncture which rarely uses needles as opposed to the normal belief and utilizes the acupuncturist’s hands and rounded tools to stimulate the acupoints of the child. The goal of the treatment is to help find the energetic balance not only to help in alleviating the symptoms but also treating the root of the problem or the cause of pain. It also helps in the child’s overall health by balancing the body’s energy.
Seeking acupuncture services is also for parents who want a safer and logical approach to illness resolution rather than conventional medicine for their child’s treatment. Not only is acupuncture a cost-effective form of medicine but a single treatment could address all sorts of pain, insomnia, immune system issues and anxiety all at the same time.
According to a study conducted by Yuan-Chi Lin, M.D., an anesthesiologist from Boston-based Harvard-affiliated Children’s Hospital, 243 children ranging between 6 months and 18 years of age had sought acupuncture therapy for back pain, headaches, stomach aches and other complaints which has led to absences from school. Before the therapy, the children involved in the study rated the pain they experienced as being 8 out of 10, with 10 as the highest pain possible. After a yearlong study, the children who have received the acupuncture treatment have reported less pain and have rated the pain they experienced as 3 out of 10 as compared to the 8 out of 10 before the treatment. The children, at the end of the study, have increased in school attendance, participation in school activities and improved sleep.
If you are interested in how acupuncture could help your child, our expert acupuncturists in Marchand Orthopedic Acupuncture will be happy to guide you on a more holistic approach to pain management for your child. We believe that children should be free from any pain and enjoy their childhood to the fullest. Book an appointment now!
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