Article by Phillip Stone

Acupuncture is considered to be a type of medicine and it has been used for literally thousands of years. Acupuncture is a great treatment for headaches, allergies, arthritis and digestion problems. You may not know it, but pregnant women can benefit greatly from acupuncture during and after their pregnancies. During every trimester, acupuncture can be applied and benefited from. In the following article, we will review what acupuncture can do throughout each trimester and in labor.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, women may experience morning sickness, bleeding, nausea and migraines or any of these ailments by themselves. Previously, it was thought that acupuncture in the first trimester may cause premature labor or even spontaneous abortion. However, an acupuncture study was conducted in the UK with six hundred women in their first trimester and there were no adverse effects on their health or their baby’s health. Women in this study did report that they were feeling more energized and less nauseous with the use of acupuncture. If you are concerned about using acupuncture in this trimester, it is wise to seek and trust only a nationally-certified acupuncturist. In fact, any acupuncture work that is done on you while pregnant should be done by a certified professional. First trimester acupuncture can be very helpful if you are having any bleeding, morning sickness, migraines or nausea. Second trimester acupuncture can also be very beneficial. Second trimester acupuncture can relieve any pains with heartburn, stress and hemorrhoids as well. If you are experiencing high blood pressure, edema or unnatural weight gain during your second trimester, acupuncture is the answer to these problems. Of course, if any of these problems persist, you should seek help from your other doctors. Third trimester acupuncture can relieve the pains in your back and pelvic girdle regions. The third trimester is also the safest time to undergo any acupuncture treatments. Therefore, if you were uneasy about seeking acupuncture in the previous two trimesters, you should have no problems seeking acupuncture in this trimester. Acupuncture is better at reducing back pain than any other method when you are pregnant. Finally, acupuncture during labor will significantly reduce any pain and will increase the energy you have at this time. Also, women with increased blood flow at this time will find that acupuncture will help to stop the increased flow.

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Question by Nicolo Uno: Acupuncture during pregnancy, is it safe?
Im in my 36 weeks and im thinking of having an appointment in the acupuncturist. Is it safe? Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by Miss
Yes dear, Aside from my weekly trips to spa for a prenatal massage, i also visit my acupuncturist monthly. It helps my nerves and it makes me calm and relax. Oh did i mention? One of the things that made me pregnant is acupuncture. Thats also what happened to my sister in law

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Acupuncture and phytotherapy help pregnant women get through their pregnancy more easily, but especially they help fetus develop harmoniously by revigorating mother’s body and metabolism and by improving her immune functions. They also treat pregnancy-related complications, such as: risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, toxemia of pregnancy , preecclampsia, respiratory viroses, urinary infections, iron-deficiency anemia, etc. There are no side effects or contraindications; the acupuncturist will merely avoid to stimulate certain acupoints.

It Cleanses and Detoxifies the Body

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I’m 33 weeks pregnant, and having some issues. I was thinking about getting acupuncture to help me. I was wondering, has anyone tried acupuncture during pregnancy? If so, did it work?

My wife is 8 weeks pregnant and is suffering from nauseas.
She wants to start acupuncture treatment in order to relieve the nauseas and to feel better.
Is it safe during pregnancy?. Does it help?.
Thank You!

Lower back pain is almost a ‘normal’ problem in the initial stage of pregnancy. It is, in fact, a reason to smile because it is the first sign that you are pregnant. But it becomes a matter of concern if it persists as the pregnancy advances. The pain becomes very annoying and frustrating especially when the doctors continue to declare it a normal feature of pregnancy.

The pain does not remain limited to the lower back, but you feel its ramifications in the upper back, shoulders and ribs and breasts. Some women have sciatic pains that travel down to their legs, while others have pelvic pain, which affects the pubic joint.

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Its not enough that you body is beginning to change and now you are beginning to feel nausea and you may have even vomited. Relax, this is not unusual and before long it will be gone. This feeling, common known as morning sickness, usually begins in the middle of the first trimester and is gone by the beginning of the second trimester.

The main thing you need to worry about is dehydration. Due to the vomiting you may lose enough fluids that you will also be losing nutrition and minerals. This will throw your electrolytes off and create a dehydration that may require hospitalization this excessive vomiting is called hyperemesis gravidarum. Symptoms of dehydration may include headaches, excessive thirst, dizziness, small urine flow, and dark urine. The darker the urine the more minerals you are losing. If any of the symptoms listed above occur see your physician immediately.

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When you are pregnant, your body does a number of things that can cause pain and discomfort, especially for your back.  Hormones that are released can soften tissues while preparing you for childbirth, but the softening can lead to problems, since it makes it easier for everything to get out of balance.  Chances are, you will be looking for some sort of effective back pain treatment. There are some good options available, like chiropractic care and acupuncture, but the option you may find most therapeutic and enjoyable is massage for back pain during pregnancy.

Pregnancy massage is different from normal massage techniques, in that areas that create special problems for pregnant women are focused on.  Attention is paid to those joints and muscles that are most likely to be affected by all of the hormone changes in your body.  A massage can provide some wonderful back pain treatment, while at the same time doing a lot to decrease stress and anxiety you may be feeling.

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Labour begins when the uterus (womb) starts to regularly contract. The contractions get more frequent and intense as labour progresses and they can become very, very painful.

There are many different types of pain relief for use in labour…

1.    Gas and Air (Entonox) – Entonox is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and is good for pain relief during labour as it doesn’t cause sleepiness. The gas takes about 30 seconds to take effect. For the entonox to work properly, it should be breathed in at the start of a contraction, which means that it will be at it’s maximum efficiency when the contraction is at it’s most painful. When the entonox has stopped being breathed in then the effects wear off within a minute. Gas and air can be used from early labour right through to the delivery of the baby and although it does relieve the pain, it doesn’t completely remove it.
2.    TENS – Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is best used during early labour. The tens machine has small pads that attach to the back and a low voltage electric current is passed across the pads and this in turn stimulates the body to produce it’s own natural pain relief. It can take up to 30 minutes before the effects are felt from the TENS machine, and the pain relief is moderate . Most women who opt for a TENS machine will hire it from the hospital or groups like the National Childbirth Trust.
3.    Injections – Pethadine and Meptazinol (Meptid) are the most common drugs given by injection, into the thigh or bottom, during labour, they are very similar to morphine and take around 20 minutes to start working. These drugs give good relief of pain and can last up to three hours. It the drugs are given too close to delivery though, they can make the patient and baby feel sleepy.
4.    Epidural – This is one of the most effective forms of pain relief and can provide complete freedom from pain throughout labour. An epidural can be given from early on in labour right up until the end of the second stage when the cervix has fully dilated. Epidurals are administered by anaesthetists, but  once they are in place, a midwife will take over. The patient will be asked to lie on their side or sit up and bend over a pillow, this opens the spaces in the spine, the  skin will then be made numb with a little local anaesthetic and then a small hollow needle is inserted into the back. A very fine plastic tube called a catheter is then threaded through the needle and secured into place with tape once the needle has been removed. The anaesthetic  is then administered through the catheter. It takes about 10-20 minutes for the epidural to become effective. A top up is sometimes needed for the second stage of labour, this means that the birth will be pain free, but it will still be possible to feel some kind of pressure when the baby is born.
5.    Complimentary Therapies – These include aromatherapy, acupuncture, reflexology or hypnosis. Aromatherapy oils can be used in massage to help relaxation. However, the essential oils used by aromatherapists are very powerful and should only be used in labour after consulting an aromatherapist . In acupuncture, fine needles are used to stimulate the energy channels of the body and the release of natural painkillers or endorphins.  Reflexology involves massaging various areas of the feet to help  stimulate channels of energy which connect with other parts of the body. Reflexology can be very helpful during labour  but needs to be carried out by a trained therapist. Self-hypnosis can be taught for use during labour by a hypnotherapists.  The aim is to make the pain more manageable, or minimise it.  Practice during pregnancy is advised so that it is more effective in labour.
6.    Water – Many women have found that soaking in deep warm water during labour allows them to relax, and gives some relief from the discomfort of contractions. Birthing pools are very popular now and can be used in either hospital or at home for pain relief and to help relax. The pool can be used until it’s time to give birth or can be used for giving birth, also gas and air can be used at the same time, giving extra relief.

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Coping with back pain is a reality for the majority of pregnant women.  While the pain is common, many common remedies cannot be used to treat it, since an expecting mother does not want to expose her unborn child to the possible ill effects of analgesics and anti-inflammatories.  So it remains up to the mother to seek out less conventional methods of treatment.

Though it is not traditional in the west, the Chinese have been using acupuncture for back pain during pregnancy for thousands of years.

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