| Constipation is another common digestive system | | | | of symptoms with actual resolution of the |
| condition that affects many children. As parents, | | | | problem. It goes without saying, that prune juice |
| your job is to try and alleviate this frustrating | | | | or mineral oil is not the "cure" for constipation, |
| situation and I want to help you to accomplish this. | | | | although they can be helpful along with other |
| I have a different perspective on childhood | | | | measures like keeping well hydrated with fluids or |
| problems compared to other practitioners. This | | | | avoiding too much dairy products. My point is that |
| comes from my clinical experience as a | | | | no child is "destined" to have constipation as part |
| pediatrician and from my current private practice | | | | of their natural pattern of existence. We must be |
| in alternative/energy medicine. | | | | much more diligent in looking for and uncovering |
| I rely heavily on the Chinese medicine system to | | | | the cause, not limiting ourselves to a few |
| help explain conditions and particularly the timing of | | | | diagnosable conditions only. |
| when and under what circumstances symptoms | | | | I have found that in the Chinese medicine system |
| develop. In the case of constipation occurring in | | | | there are multiple correspondences with the large |
| childhood, parents often ask why is this happening | | | | intestine energy circuit that can readily explain |
| to my child? I think this is a very valid question, | | | | many of these cases of constipation in children. |
| especially because most kids have had normal | | | | For example, if your child has had any respiratory |
| bowel movement habits at some time in their | | | | illness in the past like a pneumonia, bronchitis, |
| lives. | | | | upper respiratory infections, ear infections, etc., |
| For example, babies whether they are breast fed | | | | this will predispose them to preferentially send |
| or bottle fed, generally have multiple stools per | | | | more of their available energy to the lung circuit |
| day. The question should be asked then, as to | | | | instead of the large intestine. You can ask |
| why constipation develops in a child who | | | | yourself the question, which do you think your |
| previously had no problems with bowel regularity. I | | | | child's system deems as more important to take |
| have learned that the Chinese medicine system | | | | care of, the lungs and breathing or the large |
| of organ and meridian energy pathways can | | | | intestine and regularity of bowel habits? |
| explain much of these changes that happen, using | | | | As they say, this is a "no brainer". There would be |
| energy as the term used to describe what is | | | | no problem with this energy redistribution if it was |
| going on. | | | | just temporary. However, in young children |
| The large intestine or colon is the organ | | | | especially, these energy changes can become a |
| responsible for passing stools and eliminating | | | | set pattern which is difficult to unwind. |
| wastes from the digestive process. If we only | | | | Fortunately, kids are very amenable to energy |
| focus on the physical organ itself, we will miss a | | | | inputs like the BodyTalk system which I use |
| significant proportion of the causative factors at | | | | extensively in my clinical practice. Often it only |
| play in the child with constipation. There are very | | | | takes gentle energetic encouragement, focus and |
| few cases which are attributable to physical | | | | awareness to help your child's system to revert |
| problems like blockage, abnormal formation of the | | | | back to its more normal and balanced settings. |
| digestive tract, or inherited disorders like Cystic | | | | You can read more about the large intestine |
| Fibrosis or Hirschprung's Disease. These conditions | | | | energy circuit on my website and more general |
| generally present early in life and fortunately can | | | | information about how I use the Chinese medicine |
| be diagnosed and treated when found. However, | | | | system and the energy medicine paradigm as |
| in the vast majority of cases, children develop | | | | part of my practice. As always, I encourage you |
| constipation with no known obvious cause and | | | | to find the approach and modalities that fit with |
| then we are left to recommend symptomatic | | | | your child's individual needs, not some ready-made |
| care. | | | | formula. And finally, be open to new ideas and |
| There is nothing wrong with treating the | | | | new information. This strategy has worked well |
| symptoms of constipation to provide relief, but | | | | for me as a doctor and I'm sure it can work for |
| we should not mistake the temporary alleviation | | | | you, too. |