Massaging acupressure points may help relieve some childhood ailments, and many Chinese parents are enthusiastic to learn this age-old therapy. [Photo by Zou Hong / China Daily]

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Children who struggle to eat and sleep can find relief - and their appetites - through traditional Chinese massage. Liu Zhihua explores the benefits with practitioners and parents.

What does one do if a small child doesn't want to eat - or wakes up a lot in the night? Some parents may rush their children to a pediatrician, while for many Chinese, the answer will be a traditional Chinese massage therapist. This approach to massage, together with herbs and acupuncture, is a fundamental part of centuries-old traditional Chinese medicine. Nowadays, the therapy is enjoying a revival, with a growing allure for Chinese parents who seek an alternative to antibiotics for childhood ailments. "I always believed in TCM, but the effect of TCM massage on my child still surprised me," says Tang Dan, a young mother of a 2-year-old boy in Beijing.

"It was like magic."

In December, Tang took her son to a TCM hospital because of his lingering low appetite since birth, and a pediatrician there suggested a pediatric massage.

The boy received massage for about 10 minutes each day, in which a therapist pressed, pulled, rubbed and kneaded acupressure points on the boy's spine and nearby areas, as well as on the palms.

After seven days, Tang was thrilled at the change in the boy.

"For the first time since birth, he showed interest in food. Sometimes he would grasp food to eat," Tang says.

Previously, the family had taken the boy to a famous children's specialist hospital for a series of tests, but doctors there didn't reach a diagnosis and only prescribed nutrients, Tang says.