Acupuncture For Pregnancy

Acupuncture is a form of traditional medicine that originates from China. It is one of the therapies that professional healthcare practitioners recommend to their patients in order to help them manage the symptoms of various illnesses. As well, acupuncture is recommended to pregnant people to help in managing the sometimes overwhelming symptoms accompanied by pregnancy.

Although the applications of acupuncture in pregnancy are fairly new, the treatment has been observed to be effective. In particular, it has been a welcome alternative for people who prefer to avoid medication to manage their symptoms. This article shall look at the benefits of acupuncture for pregnancy.

What Do Acupuncture Practitioners Do?

In practice, acupuncture stimulates zones in the body that are nerve-rich, in order to relieve the body of pain and discomfort. The practitioners of acupuncture are called acupuncturists and their thorough understanding of the human nervous system is what makes it possible for them to insert the acupuncture needles into the body with precision. As such the acupuncturist will cause the desired effect rather than harm.

The reality however is that there are many who are averse to needles, but at the same time prefer not to use medications to manage their symptoms. For these people, acupressure can be done, yielding the same results. Acupressure stimulates the same nerve-rich zones in the body, but rather than using needles, the acupuncturist uses their fingers. In this way, acupressure can be likened to massage therapy, but with a more specific outcome.

Acupuncture During Pregnancy

As we have already mentioned, obstetricians recommend acupuncture as a non-drug alternative for pain and discomfort relief during pregnancy. The reason for this is that some patients have adverse reactions and side-effects when they take prescription medication to alleviate pregnancy-related symptoms. As a result, patients can have a more comfortable pregnancy without having to take medication.

Benefits of Acupuncture While Pregnant

One of the biggest benefits of acupuncture when a person is pregnant is stress relief. This is particularly crucial as the effects of extreme stress could be detrimental to both mother and child. Gestational diabetes, high blood pressure,preeclampsia and eclampsia are some of the high risk consequences of stress when a person is pregnant. The other benefits of acupuncture therapy are improved blood sugar levels, relaxation and improved sleep quality. As well, the treatment is effective in regulating blood pressure. 

Safety of Acupuncture While Pregnant

The next concern a person may have is whether acupuncture is safe especially in pregnancy. At this point, it must be emphasized that when a person is pregnant, the safety of both them and their unborn child is at the core of any treatment plan. As well, treatment plans are evaluated on a case by case basis, such that, if acupuncture would not be suitable to a patient, a professional healthcare practitioner would not recommend it. The main safety concerns when it comes to acupuncture revolve around pain, bruising, injury, needle hygiene and infection. These concerns are genuine and are held by a lot of people, even those who are not pregnant. In the following section, we shall address these issues. 

Pain

The fear of needles is a worldwide phenomenon, associated with pain and discomfort. It follows then that the thought of acupuncture could make one particularly anxious in light of the number of needles used to administer the treatment. The truth is that acupuncture needles are not fabricated in the same way that ordinary medical-use needles are fabricated. They are particularly more narrow which serves to ensure that when properly inserted, a patient does not feel any pain, as well this narrowness helps them to adhere to the skin better. This results in effective treatment. 

Needle Hygiene

Hygiene in any medical procedure is paramount to preventing infection. Acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel, which is a non-reactionary metal. They are also sterilized, which means they are neither contaminated, and neither will they cause infection. As well, they are disposable, meaning that no needle is ever used twice. It is also important to know that acupuncture needles are FDA approved. They are classified as medical-use equipment, and so they have undergone the same rigorous safety checks that other medical equipment undergo before approval for use in acupuncture practise. 

Bruising or Injury

In practice, the insertion of acupuncture needles is done in a very specific way in order not to cause bruising or injury. However, there are people who are more prone to bruising than others. As such, people who bruise easily must ensure that they have made the acupuncturist aware of this prior to beginning treatments. This will enable the therapist to adapt your treatment in consideration of this.  

Preterm Labor

The pressure points in the body are connected to specific regions of the body. It is known that applying pressure to specific pressure points can cause a pregnant person to go into labor. This is particularly so when a person is in their third trimester as one approaches their due date. Whereas professional acupuncturists will know which nerve centers to avoid in order to prevent preterm labor, the risk is still high. As a result, most professional healthcare providers will not recommend any acupuncture treatments when a patient is in their third trimester of pregnancy. 

Conclusion

Whereas acupuncture has a long history of effective treatment over an array of conditions and illnesses, consulting with a professional healthcare practitioner is crucial before embarking on acupuncture therapy. This is particularly true in the case an individual is pregnant. Acupuncture is used to complement treatment plans and thus should not be substituted for the proper treatment or management of illnesses and prescription medication. 

This article is brief and may not have covered every single aspect of acupuncture while pregnant. Therefore if you have more questions about whether this course of treatment is suitable for you, do not hesitate to contact the team. We are a team of experts delivering our services with professionalism and compassion. We are happy to walk with you on every aspect of your family building journey.