For child health care massage, the kneading, pinching or pinching with grinding maneuvers may be applied at the tips of all fingers; kneading maneuver applied to the pads of all fingers; and the pushing or grinding with pushing maneuvers applied along radial or ulnar borders of the fingers. The local grinding and pushing maneuvers applied to the correspondent reflecting areas of internal organs are a toning technique; and the vertical pushing maneuver applied along fingers is a reducing technique. The vertical pushing maneuver proximally applied along colon and small intestine reflecting areas is a toning technique and the distally applied is a reducing technique. The pressing with kneading and pinching with grinding maneuvers are usually applied over reflecting areas; and the pinching and pushing maneuvers applied at acupoints.

The procedures for child health care massage are arranged as follows: To tone spleen and reduce stomach for adjusting digestive tract and to reduce heart and liver for adjusting function of lung and kidney; to digit-press, press and knead Banmen and Duanzheng, to transport water into earth and to motivate Bagua; to manage Hengwen (creases) and Zongjin for clearing heat and releasing stasis; and to manage Outer Laogong and points and reflecting areas called Men and Feng for expelling external pathogens; and to manage Tianxin, Laogong and carpal crease for improving the health of children and preventing disease. Other points and reflecting areas can also be selected for use according to necessity and under the guidance of the practitioner. The acupoints and reflecting areas at the distal end of the fingers, such as Shiwang, can be used for emergency treatment. The 'persistent application of health care massage once or twice a day may improve the health of children, prevent disease and promote the development of their intelligence. In addition, children should be trained to constantly use their hands, for example to pick up and hold things, clap. Their hands, and play with building blocks to improve their coordination of movement between hands and brain. Before and after massage, their hands should be soaked in warm water, and they should be trained apt to receive a warm-water soaking of hands and feet. It's a delicate job, and health care should be continuously carried on with hand massage adequately applied with the proper force to avoid injuring the child's tender hands.

2. Foot massage for child health care

The foot massage is also very important for children. The central part of the sole, heel and toes, especially the big toe, are the important places for applying massage, and the joints of the foot, especially the ankle and first metatarsophalangeal joint, are also very important.

The procedures for child foot massage are as follows:

1) Rubbing foot:

The rubbing maneuver may be quickly and gently applied with the whole ulnar border of palm, from the ankle joint over instep (including the medial and laterl borders of the foot) to toes; and then from the heel tendon over heel and sole to toes with a force heavier than that used for the instep. For rubbing the midline of the sole, the lateral border of hypothenar prominence may be used instead. The rubbing maneuver producing a pink color and a hot sensation all over the child's feet may pro-mote their growth and development, clear heat in body, remove food stagnation, induce sweating, and expel pathogens from the body surface.