Acupuncture During Pregnancy

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat nausea and back pain of pregnant women.

Acupuncture is proven to be a safe and effective method for overcoming the physical difficulties of pregnancy. It should not be used in place of prenatal care offered by an M.D., but used as a complementary therapy. Acupuncture is helpful in relieving nausea during pregnancy, even in its worst form known as hyperemesis gravidarum.

In a Swedish study 90 percent of (pregnant) women receiving acupuncture experienced antiemetic effects. In the same study, 60 percent of the women reported reduced back pain after receiving acupuncture.

 

The Common Discomforts of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the happiest moments in a woman’s life, it is also full of many hormonal and physical changes, some of which are quite unpleasant . The most common discomforts of pregnancy include headaches, lower back pain, and morning sickness. These negative effects can be so debilitating for some women, that they interfere with their ability to function.  Acupuncture is used in these instances to provide relief when other treatments may not be desirable.

 Acupuncture Methods

There is a point on the inner wrist called PC6 that is good for nausea.  Sea Bands are designed to press on PC6, and are worn to prevent nausea while traveling.  Sea Bands are equally helpful for nausea during pregnancy and are undoubtedly easy to find on Ebay or Amazon.  The idea for Sea Bands was taken from Acupuncture theory, however, an acupuncturist rarely uses one point, it is considered too strong of a treatment, and is only used in dire circumstances.  An acupuncturist looks to discover the “pattern of disharmony”, then customizes their treatment to fit that pattern, thus bringing the person’s system into harmony.  That is why Acupuncture and Chinese medicine rarely have side effects.  We (acupuncturists), are unraveling the pattern that is creating symptoms in the first place.

Duration of Relief

Acupuncture continues to affect the body for approximately 48 hours after the treatment, that’s why, for faster healing, acupuncture twice per week is optimal,

otherwise you’re taking one step forward and two back.  As your condition improves, cutting back to once a week is fine, eventually once per month.

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