Japanese Shonishin Pediatric Acupuncture

Many people around the world have come to understand and appreciate the benefits of acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine as an essential part of their healthcare. As more and more people are exposed to these complementary healthcare modalities, many people are also realizing the benefits these modalities provide in addressing the medical needs of children.

Shonishin pediatric acupuncture (sho = little, ni = children, shin = needle) is a highly specialized form of treatment therapy for infants and children that originated in the Kansai region of Japan about 400 years ago. Although Shonishin was usually practiced as a family tradition that was kept within the family and passed down through the generations, it was made public after World War II when Dr. Hidetaro Mori began openly teaching this style of pediatric therapy.

Shonishin pediatric therapy is very different from the style of acupuncture typically used on adults. In many cases a needle is not inserted at all but is instead lightly touched to the skin. The treatment consists of pressing, rubbing, tapping, or light scraping of the skin to provide a gentle stimulation that will improve the severity of the child’s current symptoms as well as strengthen their overall constitution.

The treatment is in essence a form of bodywork that utilizes specialized techniques within the framework of Traditional Oriental Medicine to balance the child’s energy and stimulate or sedate the energetic pathways as needed. Since this is non-invasive and non-threatening to the child, the children often enjoy their treatments and look forward to continuing their therapy. In addition, some of these techniques can be taught to the parents so that the treatment can be reinforced on a daily basis at home.

Some of the most common conditions treated include:

  • coughs
  • allergies
  • fever
  • asthma
  • ADD and ADHD
  • bed wetting
  • digestive disorders
  • colic
  • sleep disorders
  • failure to thrive
  • pediatric pain
  • symptomatic treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorder

The specifics of the treatment, including the frequency and length, will be dependent on the child’s age, the length of time the child has experienced the symptoms, the child’s current condition, and the severity of symptoms. The treatments are generally very brief and will typically last less than 10 minutes. Treatment time will also depend on the age of the child with treatment time increasing as the child gets older, and will also be dependent on what the child is willing or able to tolerate.

With this in mind it is very important for any Shonishin practitioner to develop a relationship of trust, comfort and safety with the child. Often times the first treatment may consist of nothing more than the practitioner playing with the child, building rapport, and gathering diagnostic information at the same time. With younger children such as infants and toddlers, the practitioner will encourage the child’s parents to hold them while they are receiving treatment to ensure the child feels safe. In this way, the treatment is often completed before the child is even aware it has begun.

Another aspect of Shonishin therapy is the use of dietary recommendations to enhance and prolong the benefits of the treatment. Dietary recommendations are based on the established principles of Traditional Oriental Medicine and are customized to meet the individual child’s and family’s needs. The strength and benefit of these recommendations is that they are specific to the range of symptomology that the child is presenting as well as the underlying condition from the Oriental Medicine perspective. For example, if three children present with ADHD, they will not all receive the same dietary recommendations or Shonishin therapy. Instead treatment will be based on the primary condition (ADHD) plus all the other varying symptoms that the child has experienced such as gastrointestinal problems, pulmonary disorders, sleep disorders, and chronic pain.

For more information on Pediatric Acupuncture, please see our Integrative Medicine Research Library.