ACUPUNCTURE AND PREGNANCY
At
Turning Point Acupuncture we are dedicated to helping a woman who desires
children to become pregnant and subsequently to supporting her through the
pregnancy.
How can acupuncture be used in pregnancy?
It is useful to look at the historical context in which acupuncture for
pregnancy developed to realize the ways that it may be utilized.
Since Confucianism involves ancestral worship, the Chinese have been strongly
committed to having healthy children. A sturdy son was desired in particular,
since it would be he who would tend the shrine of his departed antecedents.
Chinese Medicine developed to address the expectations of the faithful follower
of that tradition. Treatment evolved to help couples to conceive and then to
foster a healthy pregnancy and uncomplicated delivery.
Acupuncture as it is practiced today is a safe, comfortable and cost effective
treatment for many of the problems that commonly develop in pregnancy. This is
especially true since pharmaceuticals are contraindicated in pregnant women in
most cases.
That being said, it is important that the acupuncture with a well trained
practitioner because there are some acupuncture point that are traditionally
forbidden to do during the nine months of gestation. These points are the ones
that are known to strongly move Qi (energy) and blood through the pelvis
include obvious points like those on the lower abdomen, and also the famous
points we use to treat gynecological disorders: LI4 and SP6
In fact
these two points when strongly stimulated have been used to induce abortion. I
have read that they were frequently used in Maoist China when the one child per
family edict was strictly enforced. Acupuncture, of course, when properly
applied can help to prevent, not cause miscarriages.
Acupuncture
for the healthy mom:
Acupuncture
treatment is recommended once a month to ensure the optimal health of the
mother and the developing fetus at different stages of growth and
differentiation. Tradition has it that Zhubin (K9), the "beautiful baby
point", should be needled at the end of the third and sixth months to
ensure a happy, healthy, and of course, gorgeous baby. The Chinese name for the
point means "guest house". The Zhubin point, located just below the calf
muscle and above the inner ankle bone, is known to calm the mind, relieve
anxiety and helps to build blood.
It is claimed that "stimulating this point minimizes the transmission of
toxins from the mother to the child, increases the health of the baby and its
resistance to disease and also tonifies the mother's Qi."
In
preparation for labor and delivery during in the last month of the pregnancy
the expectant mom should be seen weekly.
Acupuncture for
pre-existing medical issues:
While the focus of this
page is to address the treatment of conditions that arise as a direct result of
the pregnancy, acupuncture can be used to treat conditions that antedate the
pregnancy, such as migraine headache or allergies. In most cases acupuncture is
a safer approach than the use of prescription medications.
Acupuncture for
pregnancy related conditions:
The severity of symptoms
in the pregnant woman often reflects the health and lifestyle choices of the
woman before getting pregnant: Did she have a healthy diet? Smoke or drink
alcohol or use caffeine on a regular basis? Have a lot of emotional stressors?
If so, her Qi may be depleted, out of balance or blocked and the added burden
of the growing fetus may make her more symptomatic.
1. Psychological issues
The most common symptoms
we treat at Turning Point Acupuncture are worry, anxiety and overall tension.
All pregnant women are concerned about their pregnancy and the transition
happening in her life. As a New Yorker she is probably also juggling an hectic schedule
of appointments and responsibilities. At very least acupuncture is deeply
relaxing and helps to promote balance internally and an outwardly balanced
perspective.
Some women are clinically
depressed in the course of their pregnancy. This can occur when there is
blocked energy in the liver organ system from anger, resentment, frustration or
mechanical damage to the liver from chemical or viral sources. By addressing
the underlying disharmony we can help ameliorate the symptoms in pregnancy and
potentially avoid post-partum depression of the same origin.
Substance abuse can also
be addressed using acupuncture. The treatment can help women who are trying not
to smoke cigarettes or who have trouble avoiding alcohol or psychoactive drugs
including sleeping medication. Even the severely dependent can benefit from the
treatment as is evidenced by pioneering work at Lincoln Hospital with crack
addicted mothers. Women with addictions who are hoping to have a healthy
pregnancy should seek psychological support in individual counseling and 12
Step programs.
2. Physical problems
Fatigue
Because of the intense
demand placed on the mother's resources by the growing fetus, all pregnant
women experience fatigue. While nothing can substitute for sleep and a
nourishing diet, acupuncture ensures that the internal organs are fun
ctioning
optimally, that the Qi is flowing freely without blockages and that there is a
nice balance of the yin and yang forces in the body. Acupuncture also helps
with the increase production of blood and other fluids in pregnancy.
Morning
Sickness
The
first trimester is often accompanied by morning sickness marked by nausea and
sometimes vomiting. The symptom is a reflection of an underlying Qi imbalance
in the digestive function of the internal organs. Often it can be attributed to
the spleen organ system. The spleen is particularly sensitive to worry. This
condition is easily treated with acupuncture. Pericardium 6 is the most famous
point used since it harmonizes the digestion. The aim of the treatment is to
subdue rebellious stomach Qi moving in the wrong direction. Sea bands, easily
found in health food stores to treat sea sickness and vertigo, work by
stimulating this point and can be used to treat morning sickness. Ginger, an ingredient
commonly used in Chinese herbal formulas to assist assimilation, can be used as
a digestive aid.
Excessive vomiting is
referred to as hyperemesis gravidum in the medical literature and can be severe
enough to require hospitalization. The usefulness of acupuncture treatment for
this condition has been widely studied and found to be superior to
pharmaceutical intervention.
Other common digestive
tract issues that arise in pregnancy that can be treated with acupuncture
include:
Heartburn
Constipation
Hemorrhoids
Back Pain and sciatica
Back pain and sciatica
from mechanical compression are common complaints in pregnancy especially
toward the later months. Up to ¾ of women experience some form of this
discomfort The pain can interfere with sleep. Here again is an instance in
which acupuncture treatment can relieve the discomfort when medication is not
an option.
Edema
Our model Jamie Chapin
Miller asked me to be sure and add this section since acupuncture helped her
with this condition in her pregnancy.
Swelling is common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy due to the
increase in circulating fluid in the body. Fluid accumulates most often in the
hands, feet and ankles, but the face and legs can also get puffy. The condition
is usually worse at the end of the day and in warm weather. Acupuncture is
appropriate to treat this kind of mild swelling. From a TCM perspective the
fluid may be from stagnant Qi, or deficiency in the spleen or kidney organ
systems.
The presence of severe swelling, an increase of blood pressure and protein in
the urine are possible warning signs of preeclampsia, a potentially serious
complication, and should be evaluated by an obstetrician.
Here are two less common pregnancy associated conditions for which
acupuncture is helpful:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Because of the extra fluid circulating in the pregnant woman, there can be
compression of the median nerve in the wrist resulting in Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome. Other than wearing a wrist brace there is no other Western medical
treatment except surgery for this condition. Since it will resolve after
delivery, acupuncture is an ideal temporary treatment for Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome during the pregnancy.
Rhinitis of pregnancy
The significant nasal congestion that accompanies some women's pregnancy is a
hormonal effect. In fact some women on birth control pills also have this
reaction. Since most decongestant medications are contraindicated in pregnancy,
this is another condition over which acupuncture is applicable.
3. Breech Presentation
A fascinating use of Chinese Medicine in pregnancy is its role in turning a
fetus that is presenting breech, i.e., feet first. The technique is most
effective between the 28th and 34th week, up to 36 weeks of pregnancy. The
optimal time for effectiveness is 32-34 weeks. Past the 36th week there is
usually not enough room for the fetus to turn around.
The treatment uses the herb mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) called "moxa' in
Chinese. Moxabustion is the burning of the herb moxa and the application of the
generated heat to certain acupoints. For turning the fetus we primarily use the
point Zhiyin (Bladder 67) located on the outside corner of the nail on the
little toe.
Although
it is ideal to have a therapist or partner apply the stick, a woman can apply
the Moxa stick herself. The whole procedure (either with the Moxa stick or the
needle) should be repeated twice a day for a maximum of ten days, yet most
babies turn within three days.
Once turned into the appropriate headfirst position, patients should stop using
the technique, as it could cause the baby to turn back to breech.
Zhiyin must not be used in patients who have high blood pressure, any kind of
infection or higher-than-normal body temperature or are expecting twins. Women
should stop Zhiyin if it causes sleep difficulty or uterine cramping or makes
the baby overly active
A recent Japanese study confirmed that stimulation of acupuncture points is
effective in correcting breech positioning. By studying 357 women with breech
presentation they found that the moxibustion treatment group had a correction
rate of 92.48 percent compared to the control group which had a spontaneous
correction rate of 73.66 percent
Other
studies have not shown such spectacular results, but all show that the use of
Zhiyin stimulation produces a large, statistically significant improvement over
the control group.
The mechanism of action of the treatment is unknown but here are some findings
that suggest what is happening:
¤ Increased fetal activity
¤ Relaxation of the uterine myometrium (muscle layer) making a more
favorable environment for the fetus to move
¤ Increase blood flow in the uterine and umbilical arteries
The Zhiyin treatment is cheap, safe, effective, simple, painless and generally
well tolerated. It can be self-administered, but preferably done by a partner
or acupuncture practitioner.
4.
Induction for post due date
Having carefully avoided needling the "forbidden points" during the
pregnancy, the acupuncture practitioner can now freely apply all of theses
points to move energy through the pelvis. This disruption of the flow of Qi can
result in uterine contraction.
5. Labor
Acupuncture use in labor and delivery is a common practice in China where the
birth process is considered natural and should be interfered with a little as
possible. Acupuncture's use is to assist Nature. It can be used to strengthen
weak contractions and to diminish pain.
In England it has been observed that acupuncture assisted delivery is shorter,
less painful, less stressful for the mother and there is less chance of post
partum hemorrhage.
Acupuncture for Post-partum disorders
Although she will be very busy, the new mother should be encouraged to get
acupuncture treatment after delivery. The restoration of her own health is
imperative for her own well being and for her ability to be present for her
newborn. Among the conditions that acupuncture can address after birth are:
Fatigue
Postpartum vaginal discharge
Postpartum depression
Mastitis
Insufficient or Excessive Lactation
If there has been caesarian section, acupuncture can help with the post
operative healing.
Care has to be taken using Chinese herbs after delivery if the mother plans to
breast feed.
http://www.nycacupuncture.com/glpreg.html