Shonishin
A Great Alternative to Acupuncture for Kids
Oriental Medicine provides amazingly effective health solutions for both adults and children. Chinese herbs treat a myriad of symptoms and conditions that often cannot be resolved with western medicine, and acupuncture works synergistically to optimize treatment and bring the whole body into balance.
Most adults can rationalize any fear of needles in order to receive the benefits of acupuncture. But for kids, grown-up mind tricks aren’t always so easy. Needles can be scary, even when they don’t really involve any pain!
Luckily there’s a great alternative to traditional acupuncture that’s perfect for needle-shy young children and even infants.
Shonishin is an ancient Japanese treatment that involves gentle, simple external stimulation of meridians- If you’re unfamiliar with Oriental medicine, meridians are like a complex highway system flowing through the body with life-force energy, called Qi (pronounced “chee”). Acupuncture and other techniques aim to address excess, deficiencies, and blockages in the flow of Qi through the meridians.
Shonishin is perfect for very young patients for several reasons:
- Kid-Friendly - Shonishin utilizes special tools that are used to gently touch, brush, press or tap the surface of the skin, and children of all ages usually find Shonishin techniques painless, comforting, and fun.
- Kid-Specific - Oriental medicine recognizes that physiologically, children just aren’t the same as adults. Children’s bio-energetic systems aren’t fully formed, so the meridians are closer to the surface of their skin than with adults. As a result, a child’s Qi is easy to access by stimulating the skin, and kids respond very quickly to Shonishin treatment - fast results are great for kids as well as parents.
- Understands Kids - Shonishin addresses a common problem practitioners have with treating children - It’s not always easy to get in-depth information about symptoms when questioning young patients. The methods of Shonishin precisely diagnose and address symptoms and underlying imbalances without relying heavily on verbal answers. Shonishin practitioners diagnose by palpitating pulses, examining veins in the fingers, studying the colors of the complexion, and observing their eyes, face, and tongue. Very accurate diagnoses can be made without discomfort to the child.
Who Can Benefit?
Shonishin can help harmonize and strengthen a child’s vital energy and overall constitution. This technique is used to treat a wide variety of health issues that have both physical and/or emotional symptoms including:
- Colic
- Allergies and asthma
- Coughs and colds
- Digestive problems
- Ear infections
- Bedwetting
- Eczema and hives
- Failure to Thrive syndrome
- Behavioral and/or Developmental concerns
Though not ideal for most adults, Shonishin will benefit the elderly or those with very fragile constitution.
Shonishin Treatments
Your practitioner will design a Shonishin treatment plan based on your child’s age, condition and other factors. Typically, treatments are very short in duration, from 5 to 15 or slightly more minutes. The older the child is, the longer treatments are in many cases.
Shonishin is based on the “less is better” approach. In all cases, treatments are very simple and gentle. Parents are often surprised to see dramatic improvements in their child’s symptoms after just one treatment, and only a few treatments are usually all it takes for a full recovery.
Shonishin At Home
Because Shonishin involves such simple, gentle techniques, parents can learn to treat their child at home. Ask your practitioner how you can provide treatments for prevention or to treatment of a specific illness or general wellness for your child.