The ABCs of Back-to-School Health
In a new school year, our children will be exposed to all sorts of viruses that can cause a host of illnesses ranging from a simple cough or head cold to a dangerous case of the flu or COVID19. Respiratory and coronaviruses didn't just pop up recently; they're large families of viruses that have been around since the beginning of time. Children will have a better chance of warding off these viruses and recovering from them more quickly if their immune system is robust.
Historically, Chinese medicine has tasked itself with boosting children’s immunity for over 2,000 years. While Eastern medicine has always maintained a focus on preventing the onset of disease, Western medicine usually focuses on treating conditions that are already present. TCM practitioners offer several modalities for improving immune function in children, including acupuncture point stimulation, herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, and pediatric tuina bodywork.
An integrative approach to pediatric wellness can be beneficial and the practitioners at Tao of Wellness would be happy to work in conjunction with your child’s Western pediatrician. It is best to treat a child preventively by stimulating specific acupuncture points and providing herbs to boost their immune function before illness occurs. If your child does happen to become ill, they will recover more quickly if they have already begun a series of preventive treatments.
If contrary to all your best efforts your child does become ill, we urge you to bring them in for treatment at the beginning of an illness so we can help ease their symptoms. As with adults, therapeutic points can be stimulated with acupuncture or acupressure, and treatments are customized for each child’s condition. If you are concerned that acupuncture needles might be painful or frighten your child, we also offer special needle-free tools that stimulate acupuncture points causing little to no sensation.
As parents, we can offer our children cruciferous immune-boosting foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Although your child may or may not be a fan of shitake, maitake, wood ear, or reishi mushrooms, they are likely to enjoy root vegetables such as carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, and radishes. Whole grains including brown rice, oats, quinoa, and amaranth are also immune boosters.
Most kids enjoy blueberries, but oranges, grapefruit, apples, and pears are also on the list of fruits that improve immune function. Nuts and seeds on the list include Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chia, and flax seeds. Anti-oxidants keep kids healthy so you might want to prepare a delicious school-time snack combining goji berries, dried blueberries, dark chocolate, almonds, and cranberries. Avoid overly processed or excessive amounts of sugar in your child’s diet because they damage immunity.
Exercise is essential for maintaining strong immune function and contributes to general wellness, mental clarity, and stress reduction. For children ages 6 through 17, an hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day is recommended. Most of these 60 minutes should include activities like walking, running, or anything that makes their hearts beat faster. Muscle-strengthening activities such as climbing or doing push-ups are recommended at least 3 days per week, as are bone-strengthening activities such as jumping or running.
Remind your child to wash their hands frequently at school, cover their mouth or nose when they sneeze or cough, keep their hands away from their face, and not share utensils or drinks with others. Keep up with your child’s recommended vaccinations, and although many schools no longer require masks, some children will feel safer if they are allowed to wear them during the school day.
Please feel free to call us at Tao of Wellness to answer any questions you may have about developing a customized treatment plan to help keep your child healthy and strong in this very exciting, but still somewhat daunting, back-to-school season.