Why Acupuncture during Pregnancy?
Posted on February 18, 2016
Acupuncture During Pregnancy is Safe, Not all Acupuncturists evaluate and treat pregnant women.
In a randomized control trial of 593 pregnant women to address the risk factors of acupuncture during pregnancy, found acupuncture does not cause any adverse effects during pregnancy to mother or baby. It is the only therapy which will address pregnancy related problems, since most pharmaceuticals are not an option during pregnancy; acupuncture will bring much needed relief & also peace of mind.
Acupuncture has been found effective for the management of the following conditions during pregnancy:
- Heartburn
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Persisting or recurrent urinary discomfort after a UTI and completion of antibiotics during pregnancy responds well to acupuncture.
Pain
- Rib pain
- Pain of the symphysis pubis (pelvic pain) Acupuncture is a proven therapy for pelvic pain during pregnancy, per research it is better than standard care which is exercise, your OB/GYN may not have this information.
- Pain of neck and upper back
- Lower back pain and sciatica
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Leg cramps
- Headaches
- Vulval varicosity, Hemmorhoids: Acupuncture will prevent the worsening of symptoms that are expected as pregnancy advances with these conditions. If these conditions do not resolve prior to birth, labor and delivery may turn these issues inot a life long problem.
- Fatigue or exhaustion: acupuncture will be given along with lifestyle and dietary advice.
- Insomnia: It is important to get adequate sleep in order to avoid exhaustion and have an efficient childbirth, as well as to aid postpartum recovery. Acupuncture is a great option to aid sleep without side effects!
- Anxiety, Depression, excessive worry, stress: Acupuncture is safe and effective during pregnancy with these conditions. You will also be taught self-care tools to calm yourself and provided nutritional advice.
- Vaginal discharge and itching; please see M.D. for diagnosis first, then acupuncture may be used if it is a recurrent issue due to gestational diabetes.
- Itching: please rule out obstetric cholestasis with your M.D. first, acupuncture will give you relief from pregnancy related itching, definitely worth it if the itching is disturbing your quality of life. Any stress the mother experience, the baby does as well.
- Sinusitis/Allergies: During pregnancy it is thought that hormonal changes may lead to a drying of the membranes that line the nasal passages, predisposing women to nasal congestion and sinusitis. Acupuncture will help greatly and the elimination of dairy consumption and orange juice during pregnancy is also recommended.
- Swelling of ankles: symptom management, acupuncture will bring relief for pregnancy related edema.
- Threatened Miscarriage: Acupuncture is a must for everything related to miscarriages; from rehab to prevention. Please see research http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22439880
Pre-Birth Acupuncture
- Once per week until baby is born, during week 37, 38, and 39 Acupuncture will prepare the body for the best cervical ripening, will help baby to engage. Pre-birth acupuncture reduces rates of medical interventions; and if inductions becomes necessary mother will respond better after these 3 pre-birth acupuncture visits. Theduration of labor is also reduced in patients who have pre-labor acupuncture. Along with a decrease in medically necessary C-Sections have been found in research for patients who had acupuncture versus those who did not.
Previous Patient Testimonials: “The acupuncture helped with the aches and pains
associated with my pregnancy, but also kept myother health issues, such as allergies, at bay. I had
the worst pelvic bone pain around 30 weeks whereI could barely walk. After 2 sessions, I was back to
normal.”“With pregnancy she has helped with every sort of issue I have come to her about, like leg, feet and
back pain, headaches plus over all daily stress. I highly recommend Shabnam Pourhassani, L.Ac. “
Tags: pregnancy, Preparing for Labor