Expert: Tamsen Staniford, L.Ac. - 6/25/2009

Question
Hello.  I am taking my almost 8 year old daughter to see an acupuncturist to help her cope with the loss of her grandfather (4 years ago) and to just help overall with her emotions.  The acupuncturist is using some type of "electrical stimulation" instead of needles on pressure points.  Are there any risks to this type of treatment?  My daughter has a lot of "heat" which the practitioner said was a bit unusual in a person her age.  I feel the treatments are helping but I want to make sure there aren't any risks associated with it.  I know there really aren't any side effects associated with acupuncture itself but again I was unsure of the "electrical" type stimulation and I wondered how often she should get the treatments?  Also, the practitioner puts magnets in her ear every week.  Thanks.

Answer
The electrostim you're seeing used is probably what we call "probes", where the child holds a small metal rod hooked up to the electrostim machine and the accompanying metal probe is used by the practitioner to quickly and gently touch the acupoints.  It is a very mild and safe alternative to needle insertion, which can be problematic in children because of fears or the need to remain still while the needles are in place.  

Many acupuncturists use the electrostim for pediatric patients.  The Chinese Medicine view is that children's qi (lifeforce energy) is easily effected.  Therefore, even mild and short stimulation of the points can work very well.  Also, children's acupoints are less well defined than adult's, so the practitioner can use the broader stimulation of the electrostim probe to the same end.

The magnets in the ear are a wonderful adjunct. Small studies have shown that children respond better to the magnetic pellets used for ear acupressure over the vicaria seed or metallic pellets.  There are some very common points in the ear that pediatric acupuncturists can use for mood, attention, sleep and more.  The magnetic pellets are intended to only stay in a few days at most so the application site does not become damaged from the dirt, bacteria, dead skin, etc... that can build up on the adhesive.  This type of ear acupressure is also very common and very safe.  The only concern you may have is if your child is allergic to the adhesive backing.  They may not tell you so just check the ear later the same day the pellet is applied to make sure it doesn't look red or inflamed.

As for the heat:  everybody has heat in the body, it is naturally generated by our everyday biological processes.  However, if it becomes trapped in the body and starts to build up it can be a problem.  Ask your practitioner to explain exactly how the heat is manifesting problems in your child; this will help you gain a better understanding of this unique Chinese Medicine concept.  Typically heat is seen as obvious physical symptoms such as rash or redness, or as more subtle signs like increased appetite, vivid dreams, mood disturbances, muscle tightness, etc...  It will also be obvious to the practitioner in the qualities of the pulse and by looking at the child's tongue.  Ask your practitioner if there are any easy ways you can help disperse the heat at home, I'm sure they will have some useful tips that will help make the treatments more effective.  

As far as the frequency is concerned, that is something only the practitioner would know for sure based on their thorough exam and diagnosis of the child.

Acupuncture and acupressure can work very well on children, as well as properly prescribed herbal formulas. And the best part is, you can use it in conjunction with other helpful therapies such as homeopathy and counseling.