Paediatric TuiNa and Acupuncture
A particular form of Tui Na Massage can be used to treat children, as a gentle alternative to acupuncture as some children (and adults) just do not like needles.
Tui Na is an especially attractive option for treating children because it is so gentle and induces no unwanted side effects. Pressure points are activated without the use of needles, so the overall flow of energy can be manipulated, just as with the practice of acupuncture. Until the age of 6, children respond well to this gentle form of therapy.
Paediatric Tui Na works with restoring the energetic balance of the body, and can be used to treat several conditions, including nausea, lack of appetite, fever, nightmares, diarrhoea, and bed-wetting. It is also very helpful to use Tui Na to prevent illness. Some easily identifiable symptoms – irritability, clinginess, excessive hunger and thirst, lack of appetite or redness in the cheeks – are precise signals of an energetic imbalance. It is the perfect time to use Tui Na to restore the balance and prevent actual illnesses.
In addition, Paediatric Tui Na promotes healthy maturation. Research has shown that babies and infants thrive from the touch of a loving parent. In fact, children who receive this sort of attention are healthier and gain weight properly throughout their development.
A single massage session will last as long as 20 minutes, and should be performed as often as necessary depending on the nature of the child’s condition. The techniques are easy to learn and can therefore be reinforced at home between sessions with a professional.
Paediatric Tui Na is good for a variety of issues, such as:
○ Respiratory: influenza, cough, bronchiolitis, asthma, pneumonia, common colds
○ Digestive: anorexia, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, food stagnation
○ Urinary: enuresis, urinary retention, oedema
○ Others: mouth ulcer, night crying, myogenic torticollis, cerebral palsy, difficulty sleeping, ADHD, etc.
As a trained primary teacher, this is how I came into contact with Chinese Medicine, I saw first hand how TuiNa helped a severely autistic child regain a consistent form of calmness and a dramatic decrease of melt- downs and this experience set me on my path of learning about the possibilities of Chinese Medicine as a healing art form.
My Continuing Professional Development will be in paediatric Tui Na and Chinese Medicine.