Complimentary and Alternative Medicine for the Kids

A wide range of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are used in children, including herbs and dietary supplements, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic care, naturopathy, homeopathy.

• Massage is the pressing, rubbing, and moving muscles and other soft tissues of the body, primarily by using the hands and fingers. The aim is to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the massaged area.


• Acupuncture is a family of procedures that originated in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. It is intended to remove blockages in the flow of qi (energy, life force) and restore and maintain health.


• Naturopathy is a whole medical system that originated in Europe. Naturopathy aims to support the body's ability to heal itself through the use of dietary and lifestyle changes together with CAM therapies such as herbs, massage, and joint manipulation.


• Homeopathy is a whole medical system that originated in Europe. Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances that in larger doses would produce illness or symptoms (an approach called "like cures like").

Coming up next: A fact sheet from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that offers information for parents who are thinking about using a CAM therapy for their child.