Acupuncture During Pregnancy
By Jonathon
Hardcastle
Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese method of using tiny needles to stimulate
specific areas or "meridians" of the body and to rebalance the body's
energy, or chi. Because acupuncture is especially effective for chronic
conditions, many pregnant women are turning to acupuncture to provide drug-free
relief from many of the unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy.
An Australian study showed that women who received acupuncture treatments
regularly before their 14th week of pregnancy had less nausea and shorter bouts
of morning sickness than women who did not receive the treatment. Acupuncture
has also been used to treat the more serious condition hyperemesis gravidarum,
which causes serious vomiting that persists throughout pregnancy.
During the second trimester, acupuncture has been used to successfully treat
heartburn and hemorrhoids. In the third trimester, acupuncture can provide
relief from sciatica, joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, which many women
develop late in pregnancy. Acupuncture has even been used to relieve pain
during labor and delivery.
Pregnant women seeking to use acupuncture to treat conditions developed
during pregnancy should be sure to visit a licensed and experienced
acupuncturist. For example, although acupuncture can be used to treat edema, or
swelling of the ankles, edema can be an indicator of a serious problem. An
acupuncturist experienced in treating pregnant women would be more likely to
recognize this problem and refer the patient back to her obstetrician.
The most serious risk of using acupuncture during pregnancy is that it may
stimulate labor if it is improperly applied. Choosing an experienced
practitioner reduces this risk to almost negligible levels. In fact, many women
have turned to acupuncture to purposefully stimulate labor when their baby is
overdue. Some women have found that labor induced by acupuncture is gentler
than labor induced by drugs such as Pitocin.
In addition to benefits during pregnancy, labor and delivery, acupuncture
has been used to promote fertility and to treat infertility. In a small German
study, women who used acupuncture in conjunction with in vitro fertilization
had a 42.5% success rate compared to 26.3% in women who used in vitro
fertilization alone. Fertility specialists attribute this to the overall
improvement of health that comes from receiving regular acupuncture treatments.
Finally, acupuncture may have some benefits in treating post-partum
depression. Although no research has been done to support the efficacy of
acupuncture treatments on post-partum depression, anecdotal evidence shows that
some women do benefit from its use. Because acupuncture does not cause harmful
drug interactions, it can be a useful complimentary therapy.
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Alternative Health,
Nursing, and Weight Loss
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