SERVICES / Pediatrics

Vital Points Therapy offers an integrative approach to health care based on modern western medicine and scientifically-grounded alternatives, including nutrition, functional medicine, Physical, Occupational, Speech Language Therapy and Acupuncture. Our therapists are pediatric specialists who are Early Intervention Specialists.

Pediatrics in TCM: Pediatric clinics in China today use these traditional methods to treat everything from colds to epilepsy, digestive upset to mental retardation. Chinese Medical Pediatric Healthcare is effective for:

• digestive problems, constipation, diarrhea, improving appetite, and food allergies
• asthma and respiratory allergies
• upper respiratory tract infections, cough, colds and flu
• earaches and sore throat
• emotional disorders, sleep issues and stress
• nocturia and enuresis
• attention disorders and learning disabilities
• maintaining general health and well being, and developing immunity

In addition, Chinese Medical Pediatric Healthcare is a helpful adjunct to standard medical treatment for such situations as:

• juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• epilepsy
• traumatic injuries
• mental and physical developmental disorders

In traditional texts, children are considered deficient in: 

• Spleen Qi: susceptible to GI illness and nutritional problems; 
• Lung Qi: susceptible to exterior insult (cold, dampness, etc) and frequent lung problems (URI’s, etc.)

There are 2 main modalities within Chinese Medical Pediatrics: Pediatric Tui Na and Pediatric Herbal Medicine. In addition, Chinese Medical Pediatrics includes diet and lifestyle consultation.

The Acupuncture meridian system and many of the Acupuncture points, as used in an Acupuncture treatment received by an adult are not fully developed in young children. The meridians begin to mature at about 12 years of age, and become fully mature in the teenage years, therefore many of the acupuncture points that are often used for treating adults are not as effective when treating children. Traditional Chinese Medical Pediatrics as it is taught and practiced in China today very rarely uses Acupuncture treatment in young children, and then only for severe and/or difficult conditions. 
 
Pediatric Tui Na is a specialized massage technique that is applied to specific reflex zones on the limbs and torso of the child. The treatment effects positive changes in the physiology and psychology of the child being treated. Pediatric Tui Na treatment directly stimulates individual organ systems, eliminates pathogens and activates the immune system, facilitating the body’s own natural healing abilities.
 
In the case of infants and toddlers, these reflex zones are primarily located on the fingers, hands, and lower arms. As the age of the child increases, acu-points and reflex zones on the legs, torso, and head may be used as well. 
 
Chinese Medical Pediatric Tui Na is convenient, safe and effective. Infants and young children respond particularly well to this treatment.  
 
Chinese Medical Pediatrics also includes the use of Herbal Medicine. Herbal treatment in Chinese Medicine is extremely complex, with hundreds of natural substances being used to create customized formulations. These formulations vary greatly in their uses and applications and are created based on the constitution and the presenting symptoms of the child being treated.

Pediatric Acupuncture: In general, acupuncture is of limited use in children due to needle phobia and pain. Interestingly, a recent study3 showed that after first session most children (ages 6-18 yrs) described their acupuncture experience as “weird” but not uncomfortable.  
 
When compared to acupuncture in adults, pediatric practitioners use small, solid needles (36-40 Gauge), fewer needles per session, an in-and-out technique (instead of keeping needles in place). Non-invasive techniques such as acupressure, massage and various brushes and scrapers may be used as alternatives to needles on the same points. Many techniques can be taught to parents for home use. Emphasis is also placed on diet and herbal therapies.

What to Look For in a Pediatric Practitioner

Look for a licensed acupuncturist with at least one year experience in pediatrics who treats at least three children a week. Credentialing and licensure can be verified online at NCCAOM.ORG. Our Vital Points Therapy acupuncturist has treated children for over 20 years both as an Occupational Therapist, mother, an Oriental Medicine Practitioner, and most recently as a grandmother.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services:

Sensory Integration: Our senses include touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell, gravity, joint and muscle movement. SI is a neurological process that provides us with the ability to combine all of these senses and enables a child to appropriately interact with people and their environment. Sensory integration is a part of normal development for most children through play and everyday activities. In children who lack the integration we see development delays, learning deficits, feeding difficulties, and behavior problems. These deficits may occur due to their inability to process sensory information appropriately.

CranioSacral: A gentle form of manipulation that facilitates the movements of the cranium, spinal column and the sacrum to improve circulation, restore balance and improve biological function. CST is effective for colic, headaches, restoring cranial shape from a traumatic birth, decreasing hyperactivity and sensory sensitivity.

Visceral Manipulation: A gently technique taught by French Osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral to facilitate correct relationship between organs and the connective tissues, Visceral Manipulation is specific placement of soft manual forces to encourage the normal mobility, tone and motion of the viscera and their connective tissues. These gentle manipulations can improve the functioning of individual organs, the systems the organs function within, and the structural integrity of the entire body.

Neuro-Developmental Treatment™ (NDT): NDT is the primary treatment technique for individuals with central nervous system impairment such as children with cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury. NDT evaluates a person’s movement to determine the focus of therapy. Therapeutic handling is used to assist in the facilitation of typical movement to gain function.

SAMONAS Auditory Intervention: SAMONAS is an auditory stimulation program using scientifically and artistically structured music and sound. This individualized program uses the auditory system to stimulate and organize all other senses and the brain’s response. The results are improvement in auditory processing, communication, social skills, sensory integration, self-regulation, motor planning, attention, memory and writing skills.

Kinesio Taping®: This involves the use of a special type of tape that is applied to the skin over a specific muscle or joint. This tape can be used for several purposes, but its most common use is to facilitate an increased use of the proper muscles to perform specific movements for an extended period of time. Due to increased use of the muscle, strength increases and the quality of movement improves.

Pediatric Speech Language Therapy:

Oral Motor/Intensive Feeding Therapy: Due to medical complications, many children do not develop oral skills required to coordinate sucking and oral exploration during early development. A lack of oral skill development often leads to difficulties in feeding. We work with feeding on all levels from enteral to oral feeds. Some children are not born with feeding issues but develop feeding problems due to sensory impairments, sensory-motor impairments, or failure to thrive. These children may have oral aversion, limited food choices, poor appetite, poor intake or weight gain. After an extensive evaluation, the best individualized treatment approach is chosen and implemented.

Cognitive Therapy: Children with speech/language impairments may also have cognitive deficits. Cognitive impairments may present areas of weakness in memory, perception, reasoning/judgment, attention, and problem solving. Speech-language pathologists work with children to improve their overall “thinking” skills.

Fluency/Stuttering Therapy: Persons who stutter can be taught to use fluency enhancing techniques to reduce or eliminate the occurrences of stuttering during spontaneous speech.

Vocal Therapy: May involve correcting abnormal pitch, loudness, resonance, and/or quality of voice that interferes with communication.

Language Therapy: Children may have difficulties comprehending and/or using spoken and written communication. Deficits may be identified in the form, content, and function of the language system. Functional language approaches focus to improve the child’s ability to communicate basic wants and needs. Improving the overall use of spontaneous communication, social skills, vocabulary improvement, syntax, and grammatical understanding and use are also commonly treated.

Articulation/Phonological Processing Therapy: This treatment corrects inappropriate productions of standard speech sounds due to incorrect placement of the lips, tongue, teeth, velum, and pharynx.

Pediatric Physical Therapy:

Orthotics: Custom fitted orthotics support and correct biomechanical foot function in young children with low tone, flat feet, foot pain, and improve athletes’ performance.

Manual Therapy: Children often have pains, Torticolis, scoliosis and poor coordination that can be treated with manual therapy. Manual Therapy releases restriction in connective tissue, to uncover protective mechanisms and heal the underlying issues. Any symptom tells us that the body has tried to adjust and protect itself as best it can. Pain happens where pressures and forces and tensions collide - often from those same accommodations. We help the body release those restrictions, uncover the protective mechanisms, and heal whatever the body is protecting.  

Total Motion Release: Total Motion Release follows a basic principle of trusting what the body wants to do – trying not to stir up resistance. The body knows what its doing, even in producing symptoms.  So wherever possible, we want to follow the body's wisdom. If there's an ache, soreness, stiffness or tightness in the body, or if you have unevenness in range of motion,  can find a movement that is easier, less painful, or has more range on one side than the other, the TMR exercises – done on the good side – can help. The exercises are equally applicable to the young and the restless. It worked with one extremely gifted high school soccer player, and the improvement in his range of motion, ease of play and stamina was very fast.

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