Herbal Tinctures for Pediatric Conditions
By Tory Wegner, LAc
Kids are wonderful! They are growing, changing, testing their boundaries, energetic, and expressive with their emotions. When we’re speaking of children’s health in Chinese Medicine, these attributes are considered to be “excess yang” qualities, which means kids have their own set of imbalances that need to be addressed when treating them. Balancing the yin and yang aspects of the body is one of the main theories in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Really what “yin and yang” means is there exist in the world and in everything in it opposing elements that are interconnected and interdependent on each other. They rely on each other and never exist in isolation. The development of a seed is a good way to describe the essence of yin and yang. When a seed is planted and is growing it is yang (sun, heat, light, activity, growth) then the plant matures and dies off in the fall, these are yin characteristics (moon, cold, darkness, rest, earth).
Since kids have so much yang energy it is easy for them to come down with “hot diseases” such as fever, convulsions, restlessness, and insomnia. Children are easily influenced by external factors and can become overheated or chilled quickly and are more susceptible to viruses than adults. They might be fine one minute and spike a fever and be blowing snot everywhere the next. The good news is that even though kids can get sick fast, they also respond very well to natural treatments.
Chinese Herbal medicine can safely treat all kinds of pediatric illnesses ranging from colds and fevers to earaches. One type of Chinese herbal medicine that we like at Triangle Acupuncture Clinic is ‘Gentle Warrior’ tinctures by Kan Herbs. We like them because their products are made in the USA; they use high quality herbs, test for toxins and heavy metals and follow good manufacturing practices (GMP). The Gentle Warrior line consists of liquid extracts (tinctures) of herbal formulas, which make them easily absorbed, digested, and administered. The herbal drops can be taken orally or mixed in with food or drink and with dosage modification can be given to babies up to children in their teenager years.
Here is a list of some of our favorite ‘Gentle Warrior’ products. You’ll notice they are categorized by symptom, all of which are familiar to parents, so there may be one or two of them you want to have on hand in case of an acute condition:
Windbreaker: treats sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat, slight cough, mild fever and chills, aches and irritability.
Fire Fighter: treats pain and swelling of the throat, sinuses, nose, eyes, and ears (sore throat, earache, fever etc). Also good for hives, rashes, boils, acne, and even insect bites or stings.
Chest Relief: treats cough with sputum that is difficult to expectorate.
Pipe Cleaner: treats wheezing, cough, shortness of breath, dry throat, sticky yellow or green phlegm, slight to moderate fever, and mild allergic respiratory symptoms.
Open Air: Soothes tightness in the chest, wheezing, shallow breathing, coughing, phlegm that is easy to expectorate, dry mouth and throat, distention of the chest and upper abdomen (this is a formula that treats more asthma related symptoms).
Tummy Tamer: treats belching, bloating, nausea, bad breath, slow digestion of food, stomach ache, constipation, fatigue or irritability after eating, food allergies and sensitivities.
Belly Binder: treats loose stool, diarrhea accompanied by bloating, nausea, or loss of appetite.
Grow and Thrive: addresses poor appetite, aversion to food or a limited eating capacity, indigestion with belching, bloating, colic, constipation, or diarrhea. Aides in reducing food poisoning or food sensitivities.
Children’s Ear Formula: ear infection, ear congestion, inflamed or bulging eardrum, and fever. (Garlic oil is also great as a topical treatment in the ear for kids with an earache).
As with any medicine, it is best to consult with your practitioner to find the best fit. Many of these conditions are quickly treated with the above formulas, but you can always call us to find out what formula to use for your children. Nobody wants to see their little one suffer, but before reaching for the Children’s Tylenol, consider these great alternatives to have on hand when your child gets sick!