Anorexia, also known as aversion to food, refers to the phenomenon where children frequently have a poor appetite, lack interest in eating, or even refuse food. Prolonged anorexia can affect the growth and development of children, or even lead to their physical weakness and susceptibility to diseases. Now let's take a look at whether pediatric anorexia can be treated effectively with massage therapy.
Is Pediatric Anorexia Treatable with Massage Therapy?
Massage therapy can be beneficial for pediatric anorexia.
Anorexia is often caused by improper feeding, indulgence in snacks, or long-term selective eating, which can damage the spleen and stomach. Anorexia is a common symptom of many spleen and stomach disorders, and massage therapy has shown promising treatment effects for this condition. It has the following advantages:
1. It follows the self-regulating tendency of the spleen and stomach, allowing them to rest without adding burden.
2. It has obvious advantages in local treatment.
3. It provides direct relief for indigestion and obstruction.
4. It objectively promotes clarity and reduces turbidity.
Causes and Mechanisms of Pediatric Anorexia
The stomach is responsible for receiving and descending turbidity, while the spleen is responsible for transforming and ascending clarity. When the intake and transport functions are in balance, food and water can be properly digested, and the person can feel hunger and eat. However, improper feeding or long-term selective eating can lead to stomach damage and spleen dysfunction, resulting in a lack of hunger and appetite.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Pediatric Anorexia
Symptoms of pediatric anorexia may include unappetizing milk, minimal food intake, aversion to eating, crying or fussing when eating, pale complexion, fatigue, spontaneous sweating, weak voice, shortness of breath, loose stools, pale tongue with white coating, weak pulse, and pale fingerprints. Alternatively, the child may drink excessive water but have little appetite, have a tender and red face and lips, experience afternoon and evening fever, night sweats, decreased urine output, red tongue with little coating, rapid pulse, and pale fingerprints.
Massage Therapy Prescription for Pediatric Anorexia
Treatment principles: Strengthen the spleen and stomach, nourish qi, and nourish yin.
Massage therapy prescription: Tonify the spleen earth and stomach meridian, rub the spleen shu point, rub the stomach shu point, pinch the spine, perform eight trigrams manipulation, perform four horizontal strokes, and balance the liver wood. For children with spleen qi deficiency, prioritize tonifying the spleen earth, rubbing the spleen shu point, and add three guan manipulation, rubbing the outer labor point, and rubbing the guan yuan point. For children with stomach yin deficiency, prioritize clearing the stomach meridian, rubbing the stomach shu point, and add rubbing the ban men point, rubbing the zu san li point, rubbing the nei lao point, and clearing the tian he shui point. If both qi and yin deficiencies are present, the two prescriptions can be used interchangeably.
Massage Therapy Explanation for Pediatric Anorexia
The spleen earth and stomach meridian, spleen shu point, stomach shu point, and spine manipulation can strengthen the spleen and stomach, promote intake and transport, and have a good effect on regulating the function of the spleen and stomach. The eight trigrams manipulation, four horizontal strokes, and liver wood manipulation can regulate the flow of qi, balance yin and yang, and assist in intake and transport. Additional techniques such as abdominal rubbing and navel rubbing can directly affect the spleen and stomach, enhancing the therapeutic effect. For children with spleen qi deficiency, it is necessary to strengthen the qi tonification, such as tonifying the spleen earth and rubbing the spleen shu point, while adding three guan manipulation, rubbing the outer labor point, and guan yuan point to warm and tonify yang and qi. For children with stomach yin deficiency, clearing the stomach meridian and rubbing the stomach shu point should be emphasized for a longer duration. Yin deficiency is often accompanied by heat, so rubbing the nei lao point and clearing the tian he shui point can nourish yin and reduce heat. If both qi and yin deficiencies are present, both techniques can be used together.
Tips
While using massage therapy to treat pediatric anorexia, it is important to correct the child's unhealthy eating habits, control the intake of snacks, and provide scientifically and reasonably balanced meals and feeding practices to achieve early recovery and prevent future problems.
