Acupuncture During Pregnancy: Everything You Should Know

Acupuncture and Pregnancy

Acupuncture is one of the natural modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and it has been around thousands of years.

Acupuncture sessions is becoming a very popular treatment option in acupuncture clinics for pregnancy-related conditions and symptoms. Although some acupuncturist show some hesitation about practicing acupuncture on pregnant women, there has been no evidence reported to justify their concerns.

Is Acupuncture Safe During Pregnancy?

acupuncture and pregnancyAcupuncture during pregnancy has been proved to be a very safe tool utilized in treating pregnancy-related health issues.

I understand that some women might be intimidated by acupuncture during pregnancy; however, acupuncture is absolutely safe during pregnancy if it is done by a registered, well-qualified acupuncturist.

Acupuncturists use stainless steel, disposal needles to insert them into certain points of the body called “acupuncture points” or “acupoints” in order to stimulate the Qi (energy) and blood circulation in the body. These points help produce an optimal balance of energy flow in the body.

 

Benefits of Acupuncture During Pregnancy

Acupuncture is a great natural, drug-free treatment and it offers women relief for variety of problems that can appear during pregnancy.  Acupuncture provides treatments for conditions that are often regarded as part of normal pregnancy, such as:

  • morning sickness
  • fatigue
  • stress
  • nausea and heartburn
  • lower back pain
  • carpal tunnel
  • leg cramps
  • symphysis pubis
  • constipation
  • swelling

Acupuncture sessions not only help improve the quality of life in pregnant women, but it also reduces the need for medical interventions which usually happen when the conditions are very serious. Acupuncture also provides a great deal of benefits to pregnant women experiencing preeclampsia and malposition of the fetus (breech).

 

Acupuncture Pregnancy Induction

Having acupuncture sessions during the third trimester can help prepare the body for labour. Additional points can be added once the women is past the due date. Acupuncture plays a significant role in reducing the application of medical interventions such as inductions, forceps deliveries and C-section by helping to naturally induce labour.

 

Acupuncture for Pregnancy Pain

Acupuncture has proved to be very beneficial in case of musculoskeletal pain including upper and lower back pain, groin pain, rib pain, fatigue and tiredness, insomnia, nausea and vomiting that would happen during pregnancy.

Acupuncture delivers a significant relief from the symptoms that pregnant women experience and are seeking natural alternative treatments to avoid any harm to their babies.

 

Acupuncture for Anxiety During Pregnancy

One of the most common symptoms we see in our pregnant patients is that they suffer from a great deal of anxiety, stress, sense of worries and not knowing what to expect next, especially the first-time moms.

I’ve noticed with my pregnant patients that these issues usually occur because they women continue to work during their pregnancy and for most of them even till one week prior to their due date. It is very important for them to seek help and try to resolve their anxiety and stress, so they do not carry them over to their baby or to their postpartum period. Regular Acupuncture treatments are great in addressing these issues.

 

Other Important Things to Consider

One of main aspects that Traditional Chinese Medicine pays attention to during pregnancy is to consider and evaluate pregnant women’s dietary habits according to their constitutions. A pregnant women diet is very important in determining how smooth their pregnancy would go and it varies among different individuals. For instance, phlegm disharmony pattern is seen in a person who notices an immediate formation of phlegm formation in the back of their throat after taking an ice cream.

While a pregnant woman  with Kidney yang deficiency enjoys a hot curry, her fellow pregnant woman with Kidney yin deficiency would find getting hot flashes right after having a hot spicy meal. Therefore, it is very important to find out what kind of biological constitutions woman have have even before deciding to get pregnant in order to promise a healthy, smooth, comfortable pregnancy. A qualified acupuncturist can determine your constitution by checking your pulse and tongue and performing a thorough assessment.

 

Acupuncture Clinic For Pregnant Women

Our clinic in Downtown Vancouver provides a very comfortable atmosphere for our pregnant patients. They can relax while receiving their acupuncture treatment sessions.

We always advise pregnant women to start early in their pregnancy and receive acupuncture treatments regularly in order to maintain a balance of energy flow in their body. This will help prevent them from having discomforts and aches and pains that their fellow pregnant friends might experience.

If you are already too far in your pregnancy and suffer from pains and aches or anxiety or depression, it is not too late to seek acupuncture to help alleviate symptoms. Learn more about our clinic.

Contact our clinic today! We will be happy to help you along your pregnancy.


Dr. Zahra Mazanderani

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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