All parents want their children to be healthy, to stay healthy, and to be able to recover rapidly when they fall ill. In recent years there has been a movement against the concept that only allopathic physicians can effectively treat children. Parents are interested in more natural, holistic methods that incorporate diet, exercise, herbs and nutritional supplements to improve a child’s constitution and provide for a future of good health. Many parents are rightly concerned that giving babies and children strong, synthetically made drugs is not only unnatural but can negatively impact their child’s health and well-being often with long term adverse effects.

Natural treatments, such as Amma Therapeutic Massage and Shonishin, a non-insertion form of acupuncture, are extremely beneficial to both babies and children of all ages. In Amma treatments, gentle, rhythmic movements and specialized points are used to stimulate and balance the energy system. Shonishin is a specialized form of treatment for infants and children that originated in Japan in the 1700’s and which is still extremely popular not only in Japan but worldwide. In Japan today parents regularly have their children treated with Shonishin for a wide range of childhood disorders. In Shonishin acupuncture channels and points are massaged and stimulated with a variety of rounded silver, gold or stainless steel tools. Stroking, rubbing or tapping with these Shonishin tools has a very strong therapeutic effect, without penetrating the skin. Children love both Amma and Shonishin treatments and the results can be truly amazing.

At Wholistic Healing Arts we also employ natural remedies such as dietary recommendations, herbs, vitamins and nutraceuticals in the treatment of children, helping them to avoid, in many cases more aggressive and dangerous medications. Natural substances such as herbs have been utilized for thousands of years and are valued for their gentle, safe and effective healing.

All of these methods seek to balance out the child’s energy system to maintain health and promote healing. They can easily be combined with traditional western methods where necessary. Some of the childhood illnesses we effectively treat are:

• Weak Constitution
• Colic, night crying
• Indigestion, GERD, constipation and diarrhea
• Nightmares
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Autism
• Failure to thrive
• ADD and ADHD
• Allergies, asthma
• Ear infections
• Sports injuries
• Fever and colds

Each child’s treatment is individualized, depending on their age, the duration of the problem, the constitution of the child and the severity of the problem. However, because children’s bioenergy systems are not completely developed and very sensitive to change, they often respond quickly to treatments.