The Little Library

I gave a webinar early on in the Covid pandemic entitled ‘Children: the forgotten victims of Covid-19’.  Back then, there was little talk about the enormous impact covid and the resulting lockdowns were having on children.  Over the course of the pandemic, that has changed.  It is now recognised and widely talked about that the last 20 or so months have taken a huge toll on many children. 

One of the many ways in which this has manifested is in a rise in tic disorders, such as Tourette’s syndrome.  Earlier this year, the BMJ reported that many children with tic disorders had got worse over the course of the pandemic but that there had also been a significant rise of new cases in children and teenagers too (https://adc.bmj.com/content/106/5/420).  This is largely seen as symptomatic of the overall increase in mental health problems. 

This correlates with my experience as a paediatric acupuncturist.  I have always had a number of children come for treatment for tics but in the last year this number has increased.  I have found that acupuncture is effective at reducing both motor and vocal tics in many children.  A recent article in the Acupuncture Times mentions a study done in Shanghai.  It provided preliminary evidence supporting the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for tic disorders in children. https://www.acupuncturetimes.com/acupuncture-reduces-vocal-tics/?fbclid=IwAR0Fhr16mWKEfHDaEOsYG_mK-fRyvuW6Z0qT8Mega5Hx-4jAhEEv7XahcDE‍

The Little Acupuncture Room team all understand that tic disorders can be hard for a child to live with, and that they are often an outward sign of inner turbulence or stress.  We use extremely gentle acupuncture techniques, both child-friendly needling and non-needle techniques, that can help to reduce your child’s symptoms but also help them to feel better emotionally. 

Do book a free discovery call if you would like to chat to us before making an appointment.