Case study

Island Child March 07 2007

Children are as susceptible to stress as adults are, with the resulting consequences of dis-ease, misbehaviour, or health issues. Perhaps children are even more so. While adults create their environment, children are dependant on adults to create theirs. Parents sometimes feel helpless or anxious when their child is ill, often because the results are easily noticeable, while the cause is not.

According to Five Element Theory used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), illness is due to an imbalance of Yin (feminine energy) and Yang (masculine energy) within the mind/body/spirit continuum. Vital energy, or Qi (chi), is associated with the various organ systems of the body. When this flow of Qi is disrupted due to, for example, an injury, the result can be pain and/or dis-ease. A complementary holistic health modality gaining popularity in public awareness is Acupressure.

Acupressure is based on the same meridian system, or energy channels, as TCM Acupuncture. However, it is non-invasive because the practitioner applies finger pressure instead of needles. Strategically asserting finger pressure on specific acu-points encourages the body to respond by letting go of tension or stress which, in turn, allows the body to re-adjust itself into a natural balance of Yin/Yang energies.

Children respond well to acupressure for many reasons, one is the gentle application of touch. Another reason is that most children have not built up the “armour” of emotional resistance adults can sometimes carry.

In adults, acupressure helps release many stress-related health issues, such as: head or backaches, hormone imbalances, anxiety, depression, insomnia, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, digestive disorders, and muscle/tendon injuries, just to name a few. In children, acupressure can also help relieve hyperactivity, autism, behavioural issues and learning difficulties. (www.acupuncture.com)

Sessions with children are usually between ½ - 1 hour long, depending on the child’s age, health issue, and mood. Responses to a treatment are as diverse as the clients. A teen client low in energy slept through most of a session and awoke refreshed. An eleven-year old client, diagnosed with Spina Bifida Occulta, had greater control over bladder and improved bowel movements after several visits.

Jin Shin Do ® Acupressure, founded by Iona Maarsa Teeguarden, is a specific approach to acupressure application. Jin Shin Do ® loosely translated means “the Way of the Compassionate Spirit.” The practitioner works from a place of empathy. This is particularly important when working with children, or anyone for that matter, because it is trust that allows the body and mind to relax and be open to receiving the health benefits of Jin Shin Do ® Acupressure.

Kareen Holyer, BA, BEd, is a Jin Shin Do ® Acupressurist practicing out of her home in Saltair (between Chemainus & Ladysmith). Phone (250)245-1074; www.saltairjinshindo.com , email: kareen@saltairjinshindo.com