Like several adults, children can experience stomach problems, depression, back pain, anxiety issues, and more. And as with adults, children can also benefit from acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture therapy is a safe and natural treatment method that can help treat and alleviate these conditions among children.

Despite common misconceptions, acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for children. Your child could benefit from acupuncture therapy right from a young age and can keep receiving this treatment throughout his/her childhood.

In a world where modern treatment methods, like medication, are considered the ultimate solution for many ailments, introducing your child to acupuncture early can help him/her adapt to and appreciate holistic treatments from a young age. If you want to know whether your child could benefit from acupuncture treatment, you should schedule an appointment with a licensed and seasoned acupuncturist.

A Look at What Acupuncture Is

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dating back over 3,000 years. The holistic treatment method involves piercing the skin with thin, hair-like stainless steel needles along your body's specific points, also known as acupoints. The placement of these needles on your child's acupoints can help trigger his/her central nervous system (CNS), relieving disruptive symptoms like nausea and pain.

Moreover, acupuncture also targets your child's energy (chi) pathways and stimulates his/her nerves, muscles, and blood vessels to encourage his/her body to recover and heal naturally. Common health issues among many children that this ancient TCM could help fix include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Allergies
  • Respiratory disorders
  • Neck and back aches
  • Sleep problems
  • Headaches
  • Juvenile fibromyalgia
  • Asthma
  • Digestive issues
  • Vomiting and nausea

The human body has about 2,000 acupoints connected through pathways and meridians. According to ancient TCM practitioners, the meridians act as highways for the body’s energy, or “chi,” to flow through, and any blockage along these pathways could lead to imbalances and health issues.

Therefore, the primary purpose of acupuncture therapy is to help stimulate the CNS and improve the energy flow along these meridians to allow the body to heal itself naturally. Below is how the acupuncture therapy helps bring your child's health back to its balanced state for improved overall well-being:

  • It stimulates the child's brain to release endorphins, which are the body's natural pain relievers
  • Relaxes the child's nerves, ligaments, muscles, and tendons
  • Encourages the body to release neurotransmitters, which are vital chemicals that help control nerve impulses
  • Clears your child's energy meridians, which increases his/her blood and energy flow and helps his/her body fight diseases and symptoms
  • Triggers a rebalance of your child's body by unleashing his/her body's natural healing mechanism

Top-Tier Ten Health Advantages of Acupuncture Among Children

Acupuncture therapy is generally a safe, holistic treatment for children and only causes temporary, mild side effects. During the first appointment and consultation, your child's acupuncturist will check his/her health issues and the degree and severity of his/her symptoms.

This initial consultation helps the acupuncturist determine how many sessions your child will need and how often they are required. While it is rare and depends on the patient, your child could experience the following side effects:

  • Drowsiness or fainting
  • Bleeding and minor bruising
  • Weakness

If these symptoms worsen, you should immediately inform your child's acupuncturist to find an appropriate solution. By making sure your child eats before the appointment and stays hydrated with enough water after, you can reduce the likelihood that they will feel weak after this treatment.

Another preparation tip during your child's acupuncture appointment is to ensure he/she puts on loose-fitting clothing for his/her comfort. Adequate rest before his/her appointment can also increase comfort during the procedure and the chances of achieving the best results.

Nonetheless, introducing your child to acupuncture is a decision you cannot regret if you want to optimize his/her health and overall well-being. Here are the top health advantages of acupuncture therapy among children and teenagers:

  1. Improved Healing Following Any Treatment Procedure

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, acupuncture therapy stimulates the CNS to produce chemicals in the spinal cord, brain, and muscles, which helps the body unleash its natural healing abilities. Consequently, your child will experience a significant improvement in his/her overall emotional and physical well-being following the procedure.

When your child undergoes cancer therapy, surgery, or other forms of treatment, acupuncture can help accelerate his/her healing. While acupuncture can produce significant results as a standalone treatment, it could be much better when paired with other treatments, like medication and physical therapy.

  1. Improved Immune System

Strong immune systems are vital for any child since they are the body's primary line of protection against diseases and infections. A robust and effective immune system could help kick out any organism that poses a health risk to your child before it becomes problematic and costly to treat.

By resetting your child's body and rebalancing the energy flow, acupuncture can help ensure your child stays on top of his/her health for the longest time possible. Unlike conventional treatments, which target reducing the symptoms and signs of a condition, this TCM focuses on treating the source of the health issue. For example, autoimmune illnesses are due to an excessively active immune system.

To lessen the symptoms, doctors typically advise a conventional treatment in these situations that involves suppressing the child's immune system. However, an acupuncture treatment focuses on fixing the issue that causes the excessively active immune system.

  1. Relief From Pain

Acupuncture therapy is an excellent remedy for any condition that causes painful symptoms, even in children. For example, if your child experiences frequent back pain and headaches, a pediatric acupuncturist could recommend acupuncture therapy because this procedure stimulates the body to release endorphins, which act as painkillers.

  1. Alleviation of Allergies

Several children experience seasonal allergies from food, cold, pollen, dust, and other substances, which could significantly impact their daily undertakings and reduce their quality of life. However, through acupuncture coupled with conventional medications, these allergy issues are treatable. According to a study, acupuncture can help alleviate seasonal allergies.

Nonetheless, this treatment's effectiveness depends on the experience and skills of the acupuncturist who will treat your child. To achieve the best results, scheduling your child's acupuncture treatment before his/her allergy begins is advisable. Doing that ensures that his/her acupuncturist addresses the source of the problem before the allergic reaction starts.

  1. Mood Enhancement

In today's fast-paced world, even a child can experience mood problems and anxiety. For example, teens and children could display various emotions and behaviors, affecting their relationships with peers and even family members. Fortunately, acupuncture is an excellent remedy for these issues, as it improves your child's mood by balancing his/her body energy flow.

Acupuncture can also help your child destress and relax by regulating the neurotransmitter levels in his/her bloodstream.

  1. Alleviates Chronic Fatigue

Even children can become fatigued sometimes, especially if they aren't engaging in physically demanding activities. While fatigue often manifests in your child's physical appearance and behavior, it is often due to emotional and mental concerns. In this case, acupuncture could be helpful because it helps balance the child's energy flow in his/her body, making him/her feel more relaxed and energized.

Generally speaking, acupuncture can give your child a significant energy boost to stay motivated and active throughout the day. The insertion of the needles in his/her acupoints can help unblock clogged meridians or energy pathways, which helps fight brain fog and reduce exhaustion.

Moreover, acupuncture will ensure your child's organs function properly and optimally for an improved general healthy feel.

  1. Sleep Quality Enhancement

Quality and uninterrupted sleep are crucial for a child's development and growth. Teenagers could also experience sleep problems, especially if they have underlying issues like depression, anxiety, or mood disorders. If your child has sleep disorders, like insomnia, an acupuncturist can help diagnose the issue and recommend appropriate therapy if necessary. 

Acupuncture can help improve your child's sleep quality because it triggers a rise in melatonin production, which is a vital hormone that helps regulate sleep patterns. When your child's body produces this hormone in large quantities, it can help treat insomnia, helping him/her to go to sleep more quickly.

  1. Reduced Digestive Issues

Sometimes, children can experience minor but concerning digestive problems, like nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. If mealtimes often become a struggle with your child during meal times, you should consider scheduling an appointment with an acupuncturist.

While these issues are common among toddlers and will often streamline naturally after a few months, when the problem persists, an acupuncturist could help. Digestive issues like diarrhea and constipation could be due to imbalances in his/her body energy flow.

By stimulating his/her body using needles, an acupuncturist can help restore the necessary balance and healthy performance of his/her digestive system. Generally speaking, rebalancing your child's energy flow can help reduce all kinds of digestive issues and even improve his/her healthy appetite.

  1. Improved Skin Health

Some skin conditions, including acne, eczema, and rashes, could significantly affect your loved one's confidence and self-esteem. While it is vital to schedule a consultation with a doctor or dermatologist when your child experiences these issues for a thorough diagnosis and examination, acupuncture therapy could also help ensure the child enjoys flawless and healthy skin for the longest time possible.

Sometimes, skin issues could be due to a child's body becoming overheated, and that is where acupuncture therapy becomes helpful. Acupuncture can help balance a child's “Yin and Yang,” or in other words, “cold and hot” energies, for an attractive and healthy skin that he/she deserves to face the world confidently.

  1. Lessens the Seriousness of ADHD

Several research results validate the advantages of acupuncture as a holistic treatment alternative for children. Fortunately, acupuncture sessions are minimally invasive, cost-friendly, safe, and effective. If you are a parent and your child is battling ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), acupuncture therapy can help.

People with ADHD, especially children, usually have differences in how their brain works and develops, causing issues with their ability to sit, self-control, and attention. According to TCM practitioners, the body has several energy fields.

If the energy flows correctly and stays well-balanced, people experience a healthier lifestyle. Conversely, when this energy is unbalanced due to clogging of the meridians, you could experience constant health issues. Fortunately, acupuncture therapy works excellently to clear these blockages and allow your little one's body to remain in its top emotional and physical health state.

To that end, acupuncture therapy could be an excellent remedy for reducing ADHD symptoms in your child. The insertion of needles at specific acupoints in his/her body can help stimulate his/her body to release serotonin, which is a vital hormone that helps promote relaxation and address high levels of neurochemicals to reduce ADHD symptoms.

As with adults, children can benefit from acupuncture therapy in a number of ways. This ancient TCM can reduce devastating pain and several other health issues, allowing your child to live a healthy and  better quality life.

When you are unsure whether your little one is an excellent candidate for acupuncture therapy, speaking with an acupuncturist could help. Your loved one's first appointment with an acupuncturist will typically take at least one hour. However, a subsequent session could take less time, about thirty minutes.

First appointments usually last longer because the acupuncturist needs to perform a diagnosis on your child, review his/her medical records, and prepare a treatment plan. Like any other professional, the rule of thumb when introducing your child to an acupuncturist is to find one who is seasoned, reputable, and legally licensed.

Also, you should discuss cost issues during your first appointment with him/her to make the necessary financial arrangements and avoid unnecessary inconveniences during your child's treatment period.

Find a Licensed Acupuncturist Near Me

Acupuncture therapy has the potential to revolutionize how we think about the health and well-being of our children. By incorporating this ancient TCM into our children's modern healthcare regimen, you can discover holistic and effective solutions to their health and well-being.

If you are considering introducing your child or children to acupuncture therapy, our reputable acupuncturists at the Art of Chinese Healing would be glad to walk with you on this journey to ensure they remain on top of their health. We invite you to call us at 310-405-1610 to schedule your initial consultation with us, wherever you are in Los Angeles.