COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES
There are many therapies used for children. The most common of these include :
• Osteopathy—a system of manipulation. The method most frequently used to treat children is cranial osteopathy.
• Homeopathy—treatment is based on the theory that a substance that in large doses causes specific symptoms will, in tiny doses, relieve the same symptoms.
• Herbal medicine—using the active medicinal constituents of plants’ Chinese herbal medicine can be effective for childhood eczema.
• Aromatherapy—using herbal oils (called essential oils) mixed into a massage oil or inhaled as a vapour using a special burner.
• Acupressure—pressure on specific points by thumb or index finger.
How can I find a complementary therapist?
This depends on the therapy. In the UK, osteopaths have a governing body that maintains a register of therapists. In the case of homoeopathy, there are some qualified homoeopaths, including those who are doctors using homoeopathy alongside conventional medicine. It is, therefore, important for a parent to be sure that a practitioner is suitably qualified. Be wary of anyone who claims to be able to relieve a condition that nobody else can. If you are consulting a not medically qualified practitioner, it’s a good idea to check any unexplained symptoms with your doctor. Your doctor or health visitor may also be able to provide names of respected complementary practitioners locally.
Are complementary therapies completely safe?
No. As with any treatment, there are potential risks. Many herbal medicines, for instance, are not manufactured to strict standards or subject to rigorous testing because, legally, they are not considered medicines. They can thus be impure, and the dose can be inexact. In addition, herbal remedies can be potent drugs. I think it’s vital to think of complementary medicine as just that— a complement to conventional therapy.
What is Cranial Osteopathy, and what can it relieve?
Cranial osteopathy is a very gentle manipulation of the bones of the skull, which encourages normal fluid flow around the brain. It is popular with many parents, and some have found that it helps colic, feeding and sleeping problems, birth trauma, dyslexia and clumsiness, though not every child responds.
How can Aromatherapy help children?
Although there is little objective evidence, aromatherapy can sometimes be effective for :
• minor cuts and grazes (tea plant oil)
• catarrh (lemon and eucalyptus oils)
• chicken-pox (lavender and tea plant oils)
• headlice ( a blend of the tea plant, rose, eucalyptus, lemon, lavender and geranium oils)
• nappy rash (tea plant oil used as an antiseptic rinse when washing cloth nappies)
• sleep problems (usually lavender oil).
Essential oils are diluted in a base oil and either applied to the affected area, used in massage or inhaled as vapour. When using aromatherapy, make sure that the oil is suitable for a child and that she does not taste or swallow it; the oils are all-powerful, and some of them are toxic.
Does Herbal medicine have any benefits?
Yes. Chinese herbal medicine can benefit eczema, but the treatment can have powerful side effects. Western herbalism has also been claimed to help many conditions, from glue ear to immune deficiencies. Echinacea is a remedy advocated as an antiinfective and immune stimulant, which may help against colds. However, because herbs can be powerful drugs and interact with other medicines, I think it is best to consult a medical herbalist for advice.
Is Acupuncture ever useful for children?
No, hardly ever. Acupuncture can help relieve pain in adults, but few conditions in children qualify. Remembering that acupuncture can be an uncomfortable treatment, and children are frightened of needles. With this in mind, it’s best to avoid acupuncture in children, especially if a conventional treatment works. There can be no justification for using acupuncture for behavioural or developmental symptoms like bed-wetting.
What is Homeopathy suitable for?
Some complaints, such as those listed below, respond well to homoeopathy. Most remedies are readily available over the counter from pharmacies or health shops and are made from lactose or sucrose, so they taste good to children.
What can I treat at home?
There are many common complaints that you can treat at home using homoeopathy, including :
• Colic If your baby brings her legs up and screams a lot, try Colocynth (bitter cucumber). If she burps and posses a lot, a good remedy might be Carbo vegetables (vegetable charcoal, If she is furious and is not soothed by being carried and strains to fill her nappy, try Nu vomica (poison nut).
• Teething Chamomilla (chamomile) might help pain or sleeplessness from teething.
• Feverish illness If your child is pale, Aconite (monkshood) may help if given early in the illness. Belladonna (deadly nightshade) might be better if she is very hot and red.
• Gastroenteritis As well as giving lots of fluid, you could try Arsenicum album (white arsenic) if there is diarrhoea and vomiting. Phosphorus might be more suitable for vomiting alone, while Podophyllum (may apple) can help with diarrhoea.
• Common cold For a snuffle baby is Kali bichromicum (potassium bichromate). For a toddler with catarrh or cold, try giving her Pulsatilla (wind anemone) tablets twice daily.
• Bumps and bruises Swelling and bruising can be relieved with Arnica cream. Give the Arnica in tablet form if there is an open cut or graze.
• Night fears Calcarea carbonic (crushed oyster shells) or phosphorus could be worth trying.
• Bed-wetting If your child wets the bed early in the night, try Equisetum (souring rush). If she wets it later, try Lycopodum (club moss).
How do I give the remedies?
Homoeopathic remedies come either in tablets or granules. Babies can take homeopathic tablets crushed and mixed in cooled, boiled water. Give half a teaspoon at a time, and make a fresh solution daily. A baby on solids usually takes a crushed tablet or granules off a spoon, while a toddler or child can suck the tablet whole. Initially used in 30 potencies only.
When should I see a homeopath?
Homoeopaths are either practitioners who aren’t medically qualified or doctors who practice homoeopathy as well as conventional medicine. You should see a medical homeopath if your child has eczema or asthma; these two conditions need specialist treatment. A child with hyperactive also needs to see a homoeopath before treatment starts so that the remedy can be matched to the child’s symptoms.
How long does treatment last?
Some treatments for minor ailments may only need a single dose, although if your child has long-term problems, she may need to continue treatment for months. However, with homeopathy it is usual to step up the treatment as soon as improvement occurs—unlike conventional drugs.
When should I see the doctor?
Always see the doctor if your child’s symptoms persist, if symptoms change, or if this could be due to a serious illness.