Treating Children

Acupuncture for treating children

Many people do not realise that children can have acupuncture - indeed Lydia did not until she had her youngest son. The effect that acupuncture had on him was enough for Lydia to change her profession.

Lydia treats children for a whole range of conditions – everything from digestive difficulties, respiratory difficulties, insomnia, anxiety and bedwetting. Sometimes parents choose acupuncture as they just know that their children are just not ‘right’ and yet western medicine can find nothing ‘wrong’. Parents often use acupuncture in conjunction with western treatment – whether that be to reduce symptoms or reduce medication use – or both. This is something that Lydia has done with her own children, particularly her youngest son.

Children from the age of 3 months upwards can be treated with acupuncture and often respond particularly well. Acupuncture’s ability to balance the body allows children to initiate their own healing response to support conditions which, if not addressed, are more likely to remain into adulthood.

The first consultation takes about an hour and allows Lydia to take a full medical history and fully observe the child. Invariably children very quickly become used to the needles, often being far better than adults with them. The number of needles used is fewer than for adults, they are smaller and the length of time they are inserted is far less – after all children aren’t terribly good at lying still for very long! For children who really don’t like the idea of needles there are many other treatments that can be used such as moxabustion and acupressure. Some of these techniques, with careful instruction, can be carried on at home by the family to enhance treatment between appointments. Lydia also looks at realistic lifestyle advice that may help your child and works with you to help make changes. The length of the treatment course will depend on how long the child has had the difficulty and this can be discussed fully at the initial consultation.

Lydia has a post-graduate Paediatric Diploma from the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM) in Reading on the treatment of children with acupuncture. She also has post-graduate training in Tuina (medical massage) for children. She loves working with children to help set them on a pathway to better lifelong health.