Last week I had the privilege of speaking to the Mariposa middle school in Agoura Hills, CA about acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, and nutrition. It was a really incredible experience. The kids were so interested in what I did: how I ended up becoming an acupuncturist, and watching their classmate (my son), and their teacher getting needled! The kids were so incredibly receptive to the idea that there is more medicine out there than just a yearly checkup with their doctor. We talked about injuries they got while playing sports, the stress they experience, and digestive issues. It was really amazing to me that after I finished my talk, the kids came up to me one by one to talk about how acupuncture could help them!

Although I’ve treated quite a few pediatric cases in the past few weeks, it was my own 11 1/2 year old son who came to me complaining about shinsplints and an ankle sprain following a track practice. I had to formulate my own action plan as to how to make him feel most comfortable as well as trusting that he would feel better very quickly. Following three acupuncture treatments, an ankle brace, and nightly ice therapy, he was back on the track within five days!