TCM and Children For thousands of years TCM has developed a very wide and deep TCM pediatrics system, which follows the same basic theories of Chinese medicine, at the same time creating new, very specific theories, which can only relate to children. Rapidity is one of the features in TCM pediatrics, explaining that children are particularly vulnerable to diseases and get ill fast, however, the recovery from the illnesses is also exceedingly quick. Chinese medicine believes that because children's bodies are not physically and functionally fully formed and therefore inherently weak, they are particularly disposed to diseases that affect the lungs and the spleen. There is a slightly different approach towards treating the disease in pediatrics as TCM considers generally 2 organs (the spleen and the lungs) responsible for the most part of children’s diseases. It’s believed that the spleen hasn’t developed fully in a child’s body therefore its functions of digesting and transmitting the food by separating the nutrients and the waste are very weak resulting in digestive problems such as food stagnation, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting etc. Hence, a great deal of attention should be paid to the dietary nutrition. The lungs, being “the master of Qi” are the second most vulnerable organs in a child’s body. Common cold, cough, asthma, allergies are all due to the lungs failure govern, distribute and excrete the Qi, regulate the water passage and control the pores. |
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TCM Diagnosis of Children The diagnosis for children in Chinese medicine does not differ much from the one used on adults. The examination includes observation, inquiries (asked to the person who accompanies the child), palpitation, tongue diagnosis and smelling (breath, stool, urine etc.) The part, which is specific only for TCM pediatrics is observation of the vein at the base of the index finger ( for babies up to 3 years of age) to determine the seriousness and the progress of the disease, and to specify weather it a hot or cold condition. |
Common Treatment Methods for Children The most commonly used treatment methods in TCM pediatrics are: Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Pediatric Massage, Acupuncture and Dietary Healing.
Chinese herbal medicine, which is used on children can come in variety of forms such as powders, pills, tinctures and teas. The dosage will definitely vary from the one given to adults, and pediatric TCM practitioner is also trained to use less bitter and weird tasting herbs on children.
method used to prevent and cure common pediatric disease. The younger the child is the more effective massage can be. Sometimes parents are encouraged to learn some of the techniques themselves, so they could use it at home. Pediatric massage is the most acceptable form of TCM by children, because it doesn’t involve taking any herbs or using of needles, which is very comforting for the child.
very commonly used in pediatrics, especially in China. There are some difficulties performing it on very young children, and often even older ones aren’t willing to accept it, but acupuncture turns out to give great results in treating some serious pediatric condition like children’s cerebral palsy. |
These are the most commonly treated conditions:
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