In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is supposed to clear blocked pathways and allow for better energy flow inside the body. In this post, we will look at four ways acupuncture can help with problems associated with pregnancy.
Acupuncture is one of the most commonly prescribed alternative treatments for infertility. It is usually cheaper than conventional infertility treatments and, as per some studies, it can deliver much higher success rates than conventional treatments alone.
Medically speaking, acupuncture is known to thicken the lining of the endometrium, thereby increasing blood flow to the uterus and aiding conception. Acupuncture also helps keep hormone levels in balance, especially the hormone that releases gonadotropin and regulates ovulation rates.
Two major studies, one involving 1,366 women at the University of Maryland, and another involving 160 IVF patients at a German fertility clinic, point toward acupuncture's usefulness. In the first study, women who underwent acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer saw significantly higher success rate in both pregnancies and live births. In the second study, 42 per cent of the patients who underwent acupuncture 25 minutes before embryo transfer saw successful pregnancies, versus a 26 per cent success rate for those who did not.
The conclusion: acupuncture can improve chances of a successful pregnancy in women suffering from fertility issues.
Morning sickness and nausea are two of the most common complaints from women in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Fortunately, this is where acupuncture can help.
A 2014 review of studies related to acupuncture concluded that there was significant evidence to prove the treatment's effectiveness in curing nausea and morning sickness. This result came in the wake of a 2009 Cochrane Collaboration review that said acupuncture was as effective as prescription drugs in controlling nausea and sickness, without the side effects.
Essentially, if you've ever woken up and felt nauseous, perhaps an hour or two at the local acupuncture clinic might help. Best of all, even one session a month has been known to offer significant benefits.
Normally, a baby is born head first, feet later. Due to certain anomalies in the third trimester, it is possible for the baby's position to be reversed, i.e., it can come out buttock first, head later. This is called "breech presentation" and can affect the health of both baby and mother.
According to a study published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, a form of acupuncture known as "moxibustion" can resolve breech presentation. Moxibustion involves applying a hot herb called mugwort to acupuncture points in the body. Since moxibustion is entirely non-invasive, it is a commonly recommended treatment for breech presentation.
Acupuncture can also relieve pain in legs and lower back the weeks before delivery. It has also been known to soften the cervix by increasing blood flow to the region, thereby easing labour and delivery.
Acupuncture offers a surprising number of benefits to pregnant (and would-be pregnant) women.
