To start the treatment process smoothly, we suggest our parents begin introducing the idea of acupuncture treatment at home to their little ones. Beginning this process at home can better prepare and support children for their upcoming treatment. Avoid using the words “needles”, ” poke”, “pinch”, or ” pins” as children often associate these words with a vaccination or hospital experience and may cause unnecessary fear.
In our clinic, we prefer to refer to pediatric acupuncture as ” taps” because there is a lot of tapping on the skin involved (or massage, or rubbing) even before any needle is used.

During the child’s first visit, we will spend a considerable amount of time discussing the child’s health history and while we have many items of distraction in our office we suggest parents bring something special to help entertain their child during this part of the visit. This is especially helpful for children under the age of 5.

For chronically ill children or fear of doctors, we suggest also bringing an item of special comfort such as a teddy bear or blanket. Some of our little ones even dress up in costumes to add an extra layer of ” strength” for their visit. We assure you that in 1-2 treatments such things will no longer be necessary as many of our little ones look forward to their treatment and even hop up on the tables ready to begin without instruction. Most kids are eager to get involved in learning how to ” tap”!

Past the age of 5, we will begin to introduce acupuncture needle treatments to kids more readily as they are much more tolerant and receptive after this age. Again, we will not force these treatments on your little ones, but rather ease them into other styles of treatments we feel best suited for their recovery and health.