Nowadays, children are cherished by their parents. Many parents report that their children’s immunity declines after entering kindergarten, often experiencing fever, cough, abdominal pain, etc. Parents can learn pediatric tuina at home to help improve their children’s immunity and achieve health maintenance and disease treatment. Next, let’s understand pediatric tuina and learn some techniques that can be performed at home.
Pediatric tuina is based on the diagnostic theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It applies specific techniques to certain acupuncture points on the child’s body to treat diseases and maintain health. It has the effects of regulating the internal organs, unblocking the meridians, harmonizing qi and blood, and balancing yin and yang. It is an important part of TCM external treatment methods. Pediatric tuina is suitable for children aged 0-14 years, but generally, the younger the child, especially preschoolers (0-6 years), the more sensitive they are to acupuncture point stimulation, resulting in better therapeutic effects.
What diseases does pediatric tuina work well for?
Let’s categorize them based on the five internal organs for better understanding.
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Spleen: constipation, indigestion, strengthening the spleen, weak spleen with poor growth, malnutrition, poor appetite. |
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Liver: clearing liver fire, liver qi stagnation, irritability, internal wind causing teeth grinding, vision health. |
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Heart: night crying, night sweats, poor sleep, oral ulcers due to excess heart fire, sluggish thinking, poor spirit. |
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Lungs: colds, fevers, coughs, lung qi deficiency, lung yin deficiency, pneumonia, asthma, allergic diseases. |
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Kidneys: developmental delays, bedwetting, kidney yin deficiency, kidney qi instability. |
Next, I will share some acupuncture points that can enhance children’s immunity!
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1. Supplement Spleen Meridian (Bu Pi Jing): promotes digestion and absorption, enhances the body’s immunity, balances spleen and stomach functions.
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2. Rub Banmen (Rou Ban Men): strengthens the spleen and stomach, aids digestion, and regulates the qi of the three burners. It is used for insufficient spleen and stomach function, food accumulation, and indigestion.
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3. Clockwise Abdominal Massage (Shun Shi Zhen Mo): promotes gastrointestinal peristalsis, aids digestion, and relieves constipation.
(Clockwise for digestion and bowel movement) |
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4. Cross Back Rubbing (Gong Zi Ca Bei): effectively enhances the baby’s immunity and can effectively prevent colds.
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Parents,
Please
Note
Does pediatric tuina have any side effects?
This is a concern for many parents!
When performed correctly, pediatric tuina generally has no side effects. Parents should avoid choosing unregulated medical institutions and non-professional pediatric tuina practitioners, as many accidents stem from incorrect diagnosis and irresponsible attitudes of the practitioners. It is best for parents to learn proper pediatric tuina techniques themselves, as they are the ones who care for, understand, and know their children best.
What special considerations should be taken when performing tuina on children?
Please see the following six points:
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1. Comfortable environment. First, keep the room quiet, clean, with fresh air and suitable temperature. |
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2. Use of medium. Children’s skin is delicate, so it is generally necessary to use moisturizing lotion, oil, or powder during tuina to prevent skin damage. The practitioner should maintain hand hygiene. Hands should be clean, warm, and nails trimmed, with rings and bracelets removed. |
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3. Appropriate force. Pediatric tuina emphasizes light, gentle, and steady techniques, avoiding excessive force. |
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4. Suitable state. The child should be awake, calm, and in a good mood for the best effect. If the child is crying or asleep during tuina, the effect will be diminished. Tuina should not be performed when the child is overly hungry or full. |
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5. Appropriate duration. The duration of pediatric tuina is generally recommended to be around 15 minutes. Typically, tuina for enhancing immunity should be performed in the morning, while tuina for calming the mind should be done after sunset. |
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6. After tuina. It is best if the child sweats slightly after tuina, so avoid wind and cold, and refrain from eating raw or cold foods afterward. |
Contraindications
There are also contraindications for pediatric tuina, such as blood diseases, fractures, traumatic bleeding, skin injuries (broken skin, ulcers, burns, scalds), acute infectious diseases, and critical conditions. Children with these conditions are not suitable for pediatric tuina.
Pediatric tuina should be performed by a qualified TCM practitioner. Do not attempt it without a doctor’s guidance.
In addition to pediatric tuina, parents should provide a balanced diet for their children, combining various foods and avoiding picky eating to prevent malnutrition. Additionally, limit high-energy foods such as fried foods, fast food, high-fat, high-sugar, and pastries. Appropriate tuina can enhance children’s immunity, improve their resistance to viruses, and also improve appetite.
Rehabilitation Center
Department Introduction:The Rehabilitation Center of Yangxi General Hospital focuses on treating neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, “three paralysis and one amputation” (hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, paraplegia, and amputation), peripheral nerve injuries, various muscle injuries, post-fracture rehabilitation, geriatric diseases, and scoliosis rehabilitation. The center has 20 medical staff, including 2 senior titles, 2 intermediate titles, and 16 junior titles. It is the first in the Yangjiang area to carry out ultrasound-guided minimally invasive pain treatment, floating needle soft tissue release therapy, and scoliosis rehabilitation treatment, employing advanced pain and rehabilitation techniques. As the chair unit of the Pain Medicine Branch of the Yangjiang Medical Association, the Rehabilitation Center is responsible for the standardization and promotion of pain treatment techniques throughout the Yangjiang area. The TCM pain department managed by the center is a key discipline in Yangjiang.
Expert Introduction
–EXPERT INTRODUCTION–
He ZhilinDeputy Director of the Rehabilitation CenterChief TCM Physician, General Practitioner
Specialty:Skilled in using TCM, balance needles, floating needle therapy, Long’s bone-setting techniques, acupuncture, small needle knife, acupoint injection, and other traditional TCM therapies to treat neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, osteoporosis, dizziness, insomnia, soft tissue injuries, shingles, facial nerve inflammation, various pain syndromes, stroke sequelae, shoulder periarthritis, tenosynovitis, rheumatoid arthritis, pelvic misalignment, and other chronic stubborn diseases. Especially skilled in treating various pain syndromes such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation.
Contact Number: 15360349923
Huang FeifengDeputy Director of the Rehabilitation CenterDeputy Chief Rehabilitation Technician
Specialty:Skilled in applying modern rehabilitation techniques to treat movement, sensory, speech, and swallowing function loss and disorders caused by neurological diseases, musculoskeletal system diseases, cardiopulmonary diseases, and chronic diseases in the elderly. Especially skilled in rehabilitation treatment for functional disorders such as hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, and paraplegia, as well as neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain.
Contact Number: 13680629642
Wu Pei
Attending TCM Physician at the Rehabilitation Center
Specialty:Skilled in the combined TCM and Western medicine treatment of various pain-related diseases: cervical spondylosis, vertigo, lumbar and leg pain, joint pain, soft tissue pain, etc.
Contact Number: 13694275125
Hong Qianrui
TCM Physician at the Rehabilitation CenterSpecialty:1. Skilled in treating common pediatric diseases such as cough and abdominal pain/diarrhea; 2. Skilled in rehabilitation treatment for postpartum issues such as insufficient milk, breast engorgement, and postpartum back and leg pain; 3. Skilled in using traditional TCM techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion, small needle knife, spinal manipulation, bloodletting, guasha, cupping, and TCM herbal medicine combined with modern rehabilitation techniques to treat chronic pain-related diseases such as neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, spinal-related diseases, joint diseases, stroke sequelae, facial paralysis, shingles, stomach pain, neuroses, menstrual disorders, breast hyperplasia, pediatric malnutrition, and sub-health conditions.Contact Number: 18926363827
Zheng Qiyuan
Chief Rehabilitation TherapistSpecialty:Skilled in using modern rehabilitation techniques combined with traditional TCM therapies to treat stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain.Contact Number: 13005647773
Chen Junyi
Physician at the Rehabilitation CenterSpecialty:Skilled in diagnosing and treating various acute and chronic pain conditions: such as cervicogenic dizziness, headaches, cervical spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, tennis elbow, trigger finger, lumbar disc herniation, acute lumbar sprains, knee pain, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, etc. Proficient in floating needle soft tissue release therapy, acupuncture, small needle knife therapy, ultrasound-guided pain injection therapy, and spinal joint repositioning techniques.Contact Number: 15819152778
Contributed by: Rehabilitation Center
Edited by: Publicity and Education Center
Reviewed by: Li Changmei
Approved by: Qu Jiting