Ten Complementary Therapies That Can Help Children

May 28th, 2012
By Traci Stein, PhD, MPH, Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Topic Expert Contributor

    Tweet   

A question I am frequently asked is, “What are the best complementary or alternative therapies for kids?” This is a broad and potentially complex question, but many parents use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for their children. What is the most appropriate course of treatment will depend both on the presenting problem and the balance of safety and probably efficacy of the therapy being considered.

The most recent data from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that 12% of the 9,000 children surveyed in 2007 had used some form of CAM during the previous year. Parents’ CAM use typically ranges from providing remedies in lieu of medical treatments—such as using a homeopathic flu remedy instead of a prescription—to using CAM in conjunction with conventional remedies. The latter can be as simple as giving a child tea with honey, or a zinc lozenge, in addition to the antibiotics or other medications a doctor prescribes when a child has a sore throat or throat infection. Another example is when a child has been diagnosed with attention deficit (ADD/ADHD), and his or her parents employ dietary changes even if the child is also receiving medication and/or psychotherapy to help with this issue. For children who have chronic pain conditions, or notable anxiety, CAM therapies are often used, sometime independently and ideally in combination with psychotherapy (and appropriate medical care, if this is indicated), to help manage symptoms.

A point NCCAM emphasizes that is worth noting here is that children are not merely smaller versions of adults. Similarly, more studies have been conducted regarding the effects of many CAM therapies on adults, although there is a growing body of research on CAM with children. Thus, what may be considered an appropriate CAM therapy for an adult, or an appropriate dose of that therapy, is not necessarily what we can recommend for a child at present.

That being said, there are a number of treatments that are considered generally safe for children, particularly when provided or informed by appropriately trained professionals. My favorites are listed here. You’ll notice the emphasis on non-oral-intake therapies, although at times these may also be appropriate.

1. Guided imagery or self-hypnosis: helpful for managing mood symptoms, pain, and itch, sleep difficulties, as well as nausea
2. Mindfulness or other types of meditation: can help with mood, pain, itch, sleep, nausea, and concentration
3. Aromatherapy: can help reduce anxiety and enhance feelings of calm, especially when paired with other therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, imagery/hypnosis, or massage
4. Movement therapies (yoga, dance therapy, tai chi etc.): can increase children’s feelings of mastery, discharge excess physical tension, help children to focus, and may improve mood
5. Massage: can increase relaxation and decrease muscle tension or soreness
6. Energy therapies (Reiki, therapeutic touch, etc.): may help increase calm and decrease stress; may also help with some physical discomforts
7. Art therapy: can help children cope with change, shed light on emotions and concerns that they may have trouble verbalizing, and reinforce healing images created during guided imagery and hypnosis
8. Homeopathy: can be gently calming and is reported to help with fears, anxiety, tantrums, etc. There are fewer data on this therapy, but it is generally considered to be safe
9. Dilute Ginger tea: can help with upset stomach/nausea
10. Dietary changes (eliminating processed foods, caffeine, sugar, etc. and emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans/legumes, and healthy sources of protein): health-supportive overall, and some parents report improved mood, sleep, and concentration when processed foods are limited or eliminated

One common theme that runs through most of the therapies listed above is that they help children to feel calmer. Some of the approaches provide children with tools to help them directly impact how they feel (movement therapies, imagery/hypnosis, meditation, art) via what they do, and this can enhance children’s feelings of mastery and control. All of these approaches require at least the initial participation and benefit from ongoing monitoring by parents—a key ingredient in helping children to feel safe, loved, and supported. It is difficult to quantify the positive impact of this support, but few would deny its importance.

As always, it is essential to keep healthcare providers in the loop when using CAM therapies with children, particularly with those who have a medical or psychological illness.

Finally, if I were to add a number 11 to the list, it would be to emphasize that children pick up on and are undoubtedly affected by their parents’ mood and other issues. It is essential for anxious or depressed parents, as well as those with other psychological challenges, to obtain appropriate treatment. Doing so helps parents feel better, enhances their ability to cope with the many demands of parenting, and teaches children about the value of self-care. Furthermore, emotionally healthy parents tend to parent more effectively, and this can also reduce children’s feelings of anxiety and depression.

For more information regarding the above:

• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: CAM Use and Children: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/children
• The Integrative Therapies Program for Children with Cancer – Columbia University Medical Center: A leading program that emphasizes both research and clinical practice. Their website contains a wealth of information about a variety of therapies, as well as helpful links: http://integrativetherapies.columbia.edu/index.html
• Stein, T. R., Sonty, N., Saroyan, J. M. (2012). “Scratching” beneath the surface: An integrative psychosocial approach to pediatric pruritus and pain. Child Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(1), 33-47.  This article details an integrative (CAM) treatment of pediatric pain and itch (pruritus) with a 7-year-old girl.

Related articles:
Helping Your Child with Anxiety
Aromatherapy and Psychotherapy
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies for Insomnia, Part II: Mind-Body Therapies

© Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The preceding article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.

 Print This Post

• Find the Right Therapist

  Enter Zip or City: 100 Miles
•