Holistic pediatric care is quickly becoming an accepted method of treating children for a variety of ailments, including ear infections, teething pain, ADD and allergies. As a holistic healthcare provider, I am very excited about this trend because I simply do not see the need to overload children with chemicals and synthetic drugs. But even a couple years ago, I didn’t have a single child in my care because most parents believed their pediatrician was their best alternative. As a parent, I can completely relate to that line of thinking and in fact, I recently found myself falling into that category of conventional wisdom.

When my son was 18 months old, he suffered from typical teething problems, including fever and pain. No one wants to see children in distress and, like most parents, my first instinct was to immediately take him to his pediatrician. But when I stepped back for a moment I thought, “Wait a minute, I’m trained to treat children. This is the perfect opportunity for me to practice what I preach.” I looked at my son, examined his tongue to gather diagnostic information and assessed his overall demeanor. Based on my findings, I chose to treat him with a combination of acupressure, homeopathics and herbs. Within a day or two he was back to his normal happy self and we never had to set foot in his pediatrician’s office. The moral of the story is that children, including my own son, heal much faster than adults and they respond extremely well to natural remedies.

When a young patient comes to me, the first thing we do is provide a complimentary consultation with both parent and child. This typically takes 30 minutes but the time is gauged based on what the child’s attention span will bear. Spending this time with the patient is critical because it allows me to assess the whole person and determine if his or her condition is something we can treat. Checking the child’s tongue, just as I did with my own son, provides me with a wealth of valuable information. And, talking with the parent or caretaker about the child’s behavior, diet and lifestyle helps me to understand how external forces may be impacting the child’s health. Based on my findings and diagnosis during the initial consultation, the first treatment appointment is scheduled and together we create a path to wellness for the child. This may include herbs and homeopathics, therapeutic massage, acupuncture or a specific combination of these treatments. When it will provide the most benefit, I also work in tandem with a child’s pediatrician to deliver a combination of Western and holistic/Chinese practices that resolves specific health and behavioral needs.

People often ask what kinds of health conditions holistic pediatric care can help resolve. Several of my adult patients are bringing their children to me for routine wellness check-ups, allergy treatments and, like my son, relief from teething pain. I also see many cases of ear infections, 90% of which do not need to be treated with antibiotics. Holistic care is also making incredible strides in treating children who have been diagnosed with ADD. Unfortunately, the knee-jerk reaction has traditionally been to put these children on powerful sedative-laden drugs. Every child with ADD presents differently so there is no cookie cutter remedy. But, we have seen remarkable success using cool, low level lasers on specific acupoints which helps the body regain balance, while natural remedies can be used to help the brain “reset” itself. We also look at the child’s diet to help rid the system of excess chlorine, fluoride, food dyes and sugar. With these cases, the most important thing we do is look at the child as a whole person rather than as a “problem child” who is acting out.

Regardless of the child’s condition or the treatment necessary to resolve the condition, I firmly believe that healing can only take place when the mind is calm. My office and all treatment rooms provide a soothing environment that is specifically designed to put children at ease. In fact, many of my young patients, and I see children as young as three weeks of age, actually look forward to receiving their treatments. For those who are fearful of needles, laser acupuncture provides the same results as traditional acupuncture but through the use of low-level, radiation-free lasers that are cool to the touch. With all treatments, sessions are brief but the benefits are long-lasting and free of negative side effects.

Today, a much larger percentage of my overall client base is made up of children. For the most part, their parents are receiving holistic care of some sort themselves, so they understand first-hand the benefits it can have. But, I also have parents coming in who are at wits end and tell me they’ve tried everything else and are turning to natural medicine as their final alternative. My hope is that more parents and caretakers will look to holistic practices first rather than as a last resort because I can say from personal experience that holistic pediatric care is the safe, effective way to ensure children’s health and happiness…naturally.