Shonihari: The Needle Free Alternative Acupuncture for Children

No parent enjoys taking his or her child to the doctor’s office for a shot, much less to have a doctor stick many needles in the child. While the parent knows that acupuncture could help the child, the child does not understand this. For that reason a form of acupuncture that does not involve needles has been created for children to take the sting and the ache out of this form of natural healing.

It was first developed in Japan and is known as shonihari. Shonihari when translated is “children’s acupuncture” or sometimes it is referred to as “acupuncture for children.” This natural healing technique took many, many years of being out through clinical trial and applications before it started to be used on children in clinics. It has proven to be very effective. Shonihari came into existence thanks to the efforts of a man named Mister Takayuki Kuwahara, L.Ac.

Shonihari does not involve the insertion of needles nor does it involve the piercing of the skin in any way but instead it is a “non-insertive” form of acupuncture that makes use of a number of implements made of metal that serve to stimulate both the acupuncture points and the meridians on different spots of the skin. By so doing, this allows the areas where the qi is weak to be strengthened and the area where the qi is blocked, they can either be unblocked or moved along.

In many acupuncture clinics a combination of children’s acupuncture and acupressure (also referred to as tui-na) are used to help young patients. In some cases herbal supplements may also be included if the acupuncturist feels it is warranted. These treatments that combine more than one area of treatments are proving to be highly effective and most parents are very pleased with the results for their children.

Before getting started with treatments, the acupuncturist or team of acupuncturists will take an extensive medical history of the child and will closely examine the symptoms. Then will then seek to look at the health problem the child is facing in a wider frame of reference. For example is the child suffering a great deal of stress or emotional turmoil in his or her life at the present time? Often times besides the acupuncture treatments, it will be recommended that lifestyle modifications are made such as changes in the foods the child eats or the drinks he or she consumes as well as more physical activity is incorporated into the child’s life if the problem could in any way relate to a weight issue or depression.

Certain health conditions respond better to shonihari than do other. For example, this form of acupuncture is excellent for boosting a child’s floundering immune system as well as getting rid of sinusitis and sinus congestion. Shonihari also helps with pain in the joints and muscles, asthma and disorders relating to the digestive system. A child that is suffering from loss of energy or fatigue, whatever its cause can often benefit from shonihari. Children’s acupuncture also helps a child to heal quicker from injuries that have to do with movement such as fractures, tears, strains, and sprains.