Chinese Medicine for Constipated Children
Chinese medicine, including acupuncture/acupressure and herbal medicine, is an effective tool for managing childhood constipation.
From a Chinese medical perspective there can be multiple different reasons for constipation. Most children have an under-developed digestive system during toddler and developmental years. Additional stresses such as an inappropriate diet, food sensitivities, stresses, or other internal imbalances can create a situation of chronic constipation.
As pediatric Chinese medicine experts we can help to assess your child’s underlying constitution, discuss eating and lifestyle patterns with you, and develop a program of acupressure (or acupuncture) and/or herbal medicine to support your child to overcome chronic constipation.
When we address chronic constipation we always work to support the development of the digestive system to improve your child’s long-term health.
Acupressure / Acupuncture
Acupressure and acupuncture are safe and effective methods for reducing childhood constipation.
With most children we use acupressure, a process of pressing on acupressure points using our fingers or small blunt objects. Acupressure does not puncture the skin. The sensation of the acupressure session is similar to a massage and most children enjoy it and are delighted to come for return visits.
Some older children may be interested in exploring the use of acupuncture needles in their sessions; however, needles are not necessary to have effective treatments.
We typically teach parents a few simple massage and acupressure approaches that they can use daily at home to provide greater support for their children.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
We love to use Chinese herbal medicine to support our pediatric clients.
Typically for children we use herbal tinctures suspended in liquid glycerin. This preserves the herbs and provides a sweet taste to help children enjoy the medicine. We can also offer herbs in powdered or small pill format if those work better for your family.
Our commonly used pediatric medicine for chronic constipation includes formulas that:
Provide a very gentle laxative approach while improving overall digestive function;
Lubricate the stool to improve passage;
Reduce stress while improving digestive function; and/or
Provide a stronger laxative approach for constipation with hard and dry stools.