• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Gracey Holistic Health

  • Home
  • About
    • About Robert Gracey
    • Acupuncture FAQ
  • Services
    • Acupuncture
    • Complementary Therapies
    • Health and Lifestyle Coaching
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Conditions Treated
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • 617-549-1196

non-insertive acupuncture

Acupuncture for children

March 27, 2018 by Robert Gracey Leave a Comment

Last week we talked about how holistic medicine can help older patients. But a review of 31 different published articles as old as 2008 has shown that acupuncture is relatively effective with low risk in pediatric cases as well.

“A lot of kids are medication-sensitive, and acupuncture doesn’t have the side effects of medication,” explains Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Benjamin Katholi, MD.

Therefore, acupuncture may be a good solution for children suffering from a wide range of mental or physical problems.

Shakuju Therapy for children

Image above: The hand of Kobayashi Sensei who founded Shakuju Therapy

The review doesn’t  mention use of non-invasive or insertive styles of acupuncture like I practice. Read my blog post on Shakuju Therapy and needles used to learn about how successful acupuncture does not necessarily require the needles to actually puncture the skin.

One of the reasons I like this style of acupuncture is that I find it equally effective while being a “gentler” treatment. Often, I’ve been told that Shakuju Therapy just feels like a light tapping. That’s why, unlike with other styles of acupuncture treatment, I feel comfortable treating infants and young children.

Is acupuncture effective for kids?

Yes! A 2015 study from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago recruited 55 children and teens who’d been “miserable for months with chronic pain and gave them up to eight 30-minute treatments. Every one of these kids reported having significantly less pain after receiving acupuncture. The greatest reductions came right away, after the first few sessions, but their pain continued dwindling throughout the trial. They didn’t have any adverse side effects from the treatments either, except feeling slightly tired after a session,” (not a bad thing…many of my patients report feeling so relaxed that they nod off on the table while being treated or nap afterwards). “Their parents also noticed big improvements in their children’s moods, social lives, and ability to focus at school.”

How is an acupuncture treatment for adults different than that of children?

Specific acupuncture points on the body are the same between children and adults. However, like with most medical treatments, children are more sensitive and respond quicker to acupuncture treatments in my experience.

Therefore, the biggest difference in treatment between adults and children is that children  require milder and less acupuncture stimulation and often see more immediate results. In addition, pediatric acupuncture that I perform on the very young doesn’t involve any needle insertion at all. My approach varies from using a Teishin needle to specific pediatric tools for gentle stimulating energetic pathways on the body.

Perhaps there’s no reason for children to be afraid of needles, anymore!

Filed Under: Acupuncture Tagged With: acupuncture, ADHD, allergies, anxiety, asthma and allergies, bedwetting, bone pain, chicken pox, common cold, croup, drooling, ear infections, fatigue, headaches, joint pain, lyme disease, measles, mumps, nausea, non-insertive acupuncture, noninvasive acupuncture, pediatric, pediatric acupuncture, pertussis, prenatal, reflux, sleep problems, stomach pain, strep throat

Help heal GERD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and other digestive issues naturally

February 26, 2018 by Robert Gracey Leave a Comment

Did you know that your digestive system is comprised of 10 different organs that cover about 30 feet and contain over 20 different cell types? That’s a lot of specialized work happening in your torso!

If you’re having digestive issues, that means there could be a whole lot of places where the system isn’t working properly. Anything from a poor diet, to stress, to a bacterial infection, to inflammation of the digestive tract could be causing you loads (no pun intended) of problems. GERD, IBS, Celiac disease, and gallstones all stem from different digestive problems.

How holistic medicine can help digestive issues

Whatever the issue, the practice of acupuncture looks at your body as an entire system to determine the problem—including the 10 different digestive organs. That means that holistic medicine can be particularly helpful in diagnosing and treating a range of digestive issues.

A few of the common ways that digestive issues are treated with holistic medicine include:

A carefully curated diet

Across both Western and Eastern medicine, it’s understood that what we put into our bodies is a leading influence on the health of our guts. In fact, Chinese and Japanese herbal medicines have been used in East Asia for thousands of years to help manage and improve function of our digestion.

You may have seen these natural remedies before:

  • Ginger: Relieves nausea
  • Turmeric: Has anti-inflammatory properties
  • Milk thistle: Helps sluggish digestive systems
  • Slippery elm: Soothes acid reflux
  • Probiotics: Regulates digestion

When combined with an improved, high-fiber and hydrated diet, herbal supplement provided by a holistic healer can go a long way.

Yoga or stretching

Just like with your muscles, your digestive system benefits from being opened and moved to stimulate energy into the system. Spinal twists in particular are helpful, as you can even imagine your organs being “wringed” clean.

Try this routine and check the others to help get your body and digestive system back on track.

Targeted bodywork techniques such as tui na (a style of massage similar to shiatsu) and gua sha (a scraping-style of massage with a dull object) have also been helpful to patients at Gracey Holistic Health.

Acupuncture

There are multiple acupuncture points on the body that relate specifically to each part of the digestive system, ranging from your hand, to your elbow, to your foot, and (yes) to your stomach. If you’re experiencing problems, try a few out for yourself:

  • Point 1, known as Conception Vessel (CV) 6 or termed the “sea of energy.” Two finger (thumb) widths directly below your belly button, slowly apply pressure with the tip of your finger. You can practice while sitting up or lying down.
  • Point 2, known as Large Intestine (LI) 4 or “union in the valley.” Place your thumb on the top of your other hand, in the hollow or raised muscular (hand gripped) space between your index finger and thumb. Make small circular motions with your thumb. Be sure not to clench your fist while pressing this point when treating it, as this could cause unneeded discomfort.

Or, come in and receive a more comprehensive treatment! My style of non-insertive acupuncture, Shakuju Therapy, is particularly effective for a range of digestive issues.

In addition to acupuncture and other holistic approaches noted above, complementary therapies, including moxibustion, magnets, essential oils and health and lifestyle changes can be quite beneficial in helping ease digestive problems.

Filed Under: Acupuncture Tagged With: acupuncture, celiac disease, diet, digestion, essential oils, food, gallstones, GERD, gua sha, IBS, inflammation, magnetic therapy, magnets, moxibustion, non-insertive acupuncture, shakuju therapy, stretching, tui na

Footer

Feel Healthier and Happier This Season

Sign up to get my quarterly newsletter for tips on how to remain in balance as you move through each season.

Follow Us

Belmont

Gracey Holistic Health Belmont Clinic
26 Brighton Street, Suite 310
Belmont, MA 02478

Brookline

Gracey Holistic Health Brookline Village
320 Washington Street, Suite 402
Brookline, MA 02445

Sitemap A/B | Areas Served around Boston, Massachusetts | Offices in Brookline and Belmont

Copyright © 2023 · Gracey Holistic Health · All Rights Reserved.