Can Children Have Acupuncture?

Paediatric Acupuncture

Children respond quickly to acupuncture — often more quickly than adults — because their constitutions are generally less chronically depleted and their bodies are more responsive to regulatory stimulus. Treatment is adapted for age: toddlers and young children receive gentle, non-insertive shonishin techniques using a small metal instrument stroked along meridian pathways without needle insertion; older children receive paediatric-gauge needles retained for a shorter time.

At Rainbow Medicine, Dr Christine Shen (Acupuncturist) has experience treating children from infancy through adolescence. Common presentations in children include: recurrent respiratory infections, allergies and eczema, digestive issues (colic, constipation), bedwetting, sleep problems, anxiety, and adolescent menstrual irregularities.

Safety in Children

Paediatric acupuncture is very well tolerated and the safety record is excellent. A 2011 systematic review of paediatric acupuncture safety found that adverse events were uncommon and generally minor (brief crying, minor bruising). The most important factor in safe paediatric acupuncture is practitioner training and experience in treating children.

For parents uncertain about whether their child will tolerate acupuncture, we recommend a brief initial consultation without treatment — where the child can meet the practitioner, see the needles (which are extremely fine), and choose whether they would like to try. Children generally respond positively when treated in a calm, patient, and child-friendly environment.