Paediatrics is one of the oldest specialities in Chinese Medicine with texts from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) still influencing clinicians today. This means that, with acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine used in many hospitals in China and abroad, well over a thousand years of practice and scholarship are focused on treating our cherished children.
In contrast to an adults the energy of a child is very dynamic as they are rapidly growing and developing. This means much of the “treatment” can comprise of advice on food and life habits with some massage.
If a problem is more entrenched or very acute I will use acupuncture, (very small fine needles for a very short time, depending on the childs age), and/or some herbal remedies to re-establish balance and return them to health.
Inherited problems are considered part of the childs constitution and would include things of a more chronic, almost unavoidable, nature. In such situations treatment is more long term and is focussed on reducing symptoms and strengthening the child to make the most of their life. Remarkably some conditions considered lifelong may resolve or symptoms be reduced to a point where they disappear as the child strengthens around the onset of puberty.