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129 E 90th Street #1W,
New York, NY,
10128

(646) 609-4250

Acupuncture for Kids

At Naturna, we treat babies as young as one week old. But what does Acupuncture treatment do for a child? How does it work? And a better question… how do you get your child to go to Acupuncture?

For children in New York, a range of common ailments can impact daily living. From allergies exacerbated by the flowers of the Upper East Side, to playground injuries, to chronic conditions such as asthma, colic, and anxiety, our children can get hit with all sorts of aches and pains that stress their little bodies (and their parents’ minds) to the max. 

Acupuncture treatment for a child looks a bit different than Acupuncture treatment for an adult. From the beginning of an appointment, our Acupuncturists make sure children are comfortable. For babies or very young kiddos, this probably means being in the arms of an adult. For older kids and teenagers, it means lying down on one of our cushy massage tables and relaxing to the sound of ocean waves. With their friendly dispositions, children feel at ease with our practitioners and are often comfortable participating in treatment even without a loved one holding their hand. 

The types of Acupuncture used when treating a child are also focused on gentler techniques. Needles might be in the skin for a shorter amount of time (especially with wiggly kids), and adjunctive modalities such as moxibustion, acupressure, and cupping might also be used to assist in treatment. 

Still worried about how your little one might respond to needles? Contrary to what you might suspect, research from the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles indicates that “most children tolerate Acupuncture therapies well and view Acupuncture as a positive experience” (Gold et al., 2009). In fact, during the last year, we have had almost 100% of pediatric patients return multiple times after their first treatment at Naturna.

Here at Naturna, we see many children on a regular basis. Kids love their Acupuncture treatments, and we often hear parents saying their child asks to come back when they aren’t feeling well!

If you’d like to learn more about what Acupuncture can do for a child in your life, read more on our Pediatric Acupuncture page, or call us today and schedule an initial consultation. 

 

References

Gold, J. I., Nicolaou, C. D., Belmont, K. A., Katz, A. R., Benaron, D. M., & Yu, W. (2009). Pediatric acupuncture: a review of clinical research. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 6(4), 429-439.