• poor feeding
• vomiting of milk
• colic
• crying at night
• poor sleep
  
• catching colds
• cough
• runny nose
  
• watery stools
• constipation
• hyperactivity
• skin conditions

Children do not like being needled, and never have done since ancient times.

Maybe that is why in mainland China acupuncture is used only sparingly for children under seven years of age and herbal medicine is the preferred therapy.

In Japan, though, a special paediatric acupuncture (Shonishin) is very popular. It emerged as a separate technique some 250 years ago. Shonishin employs specialised treatment techniques, many of which are non-invasive and thus not uncomfortable or frightening for the child. Very light rhythmic taping and rubbing along the energy pathways is the main method of therapy. Specialised needles with rounded ends are used to lightly press, rub or tap on the skin to give different kinds of gentle stimulation. It is found effective for a wide variety of paediatric problems from birth through the age of five or so.

I have studied paediatric acupuncture techniques with Dr Stephen Birch, the leading Western Shonishin specialist and learned how much can be done for an ill child with minimal intervention.

The infant’s physiology is different from that of an adult. In an infant, the acupuncture points (which lie along “meridians”) have not yet acquired their fixed location and are generally much wider, spreading over a larger body area, so they can be stimulated without the use of needles.

As children get older, and/or their problems are more difficult or stubborn, regular acupuncture methods (modified for the individual child’s needs) can be used. Very thin needles (0.12mm), inserted shallowly (1-3mm) and retained for as little as a few seconds, or tiny moxa cones, cupping, or gold, silver or stainless steel pellets may all be used to regulate the qi.

It is also useful to have the parent apply a simple light treatment at home to the child between clinic visits. The techniques are easy to learn and can be incorporated into the daily routine at home. Children usually enjoy it and will often remind a busy mother to “do some spooning” (the back of a silver spoon is applied to stroke along the channels).

Basic Chinese massage techniques (baby tui na) can also be taught to parents during the consultation.

It is important to be gentle in looking after a sick child and not to over-stimulate, as the child’s energy is very responsive and even minor intervention could trigger a cascade of reactions.

It is normal after the treatment for the child’s body temperature to rise slightly, or for its stools to be softer than usual for a day or so as the body gets rid of accumulated toxins.

Shonishin and other gentle acupuncture techniques can be of immense support when a child is ill, but also on a prophylactic basis, to support the child’s development.

Where possible, I prefer to work closely with the child’s paediatrician to coordinate efforts and to monitor the extent of stimulation.

Powerful, interventionist Western medication is excellent at saving lives, but there is a tendency for it to be used too often and too soon in babies and small children, and that can be overwhelming and even damaging for a tiny developing system, potentially causing more health problems by over-prescription of medication and the use of invasive investigation techniques.