At the time I thought acupuncture was just another unnecessarily painful beauty regimen that had no scientifically proven benefits. Plus, being poked and prodded at 30 plus weeks in my pregnancy was not something I was going to volunteer to do. But since I have given birth, I can’t help but wonder how different my birth would have been had I tried it. This has led me to do some research on acupuncture during pregnancy, how safe is it, what are the benefits of acupuncture during pregnancy and what are the risks involved in acupuncture during pregnancy.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a Chinese traditional medicine that involves thin needles being placed at specific points in the body with the goal of relieving pain, but it is also used to treat other conditions. The whole purpose of inserting the needle in a specific point in the body is to stimulate those points  to balance the yin (cold, slow) and yang (hot, excited) forces in the body and to allow a flow of qi (life force).

Acupuncture is not as rare as people may think, although still a bit exotic, more than three million Americans per year use acupuncture, but this is a small number compared to some European countries like France where one in five French people has tried some form of acupuncture. Likewise in Germany, acupuncture is the most prominent heterodox mode of treatment in the German healthcare system which may be why it was offered to me as an option during my hospital registration.  While it is hard to estimate the number of patients who are resorting to acupuncture, studies have also shown that around a third of all German medical doctors use it in their own practice.

How Does Acupuncture Works

According to an article posted on John Hopkins University, acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system. Acupuncture seeks to release the flow of the body’s vital energy or “chi” by stimulating points along 14 energy pathways. According to Chinese medical theory, blockages of qi (translated as “vital life force energy”) and/or blood can occur along these meridians and can disrupt how the body parts and organs communicate with one another.  The acupuncture needles will unblock areas of stagnation and mend these blocked or broken lines of communication. It is believed that acupuncture works by simply reminding the body how to heal itself and bringing the body back into homeostasis. 

Some scientists even believe that the needles cause the body to release endorphins.  Endorphins are natural painkillers that may boost blood flow and change brain activity. The result of this is that acupuncture releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.

However, skeptics believe acupuncture only has a placebo effect meaning that it works only because people believe it will.

Benefits of Acupuncture During Pregnancy

As I have pointed out earlier, acupuncture was referred to me by a doctor. A lot of people believe that acupuncture during  pregnancy is beneficial in so many ways. It is said to be able to ease some pregnancy symptoms such as that terrible heartburn we get during the first and the third trimester, edema or swelling in the limbs, particularly the feet, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, other back pain, headaches and morning sickness.

Acupuncture During Pregnancy and Morning Sickness Morning sickness

Most women struggle with nausea and morning sickness during their pregnancy and since the amount of medication an expectant mom can take during pregnancy is limited, acupuncture is a good alternative. There are various studies on acupuncture and its ability to help with nausea and vomiting, both for pregnant and nonpregnant people. Scientific studies have shown that the P6 acupressure point, is also referred to as the spleen channel. influences the digestive system.

Likewise, a review from 2021, concluded that acupuncture is effective for severe nausea in pregnancy.

Why More Women These Days are Opting for Acupuncture During Pregnancy

Some women seek out acupuncture during pregnancy not because they struggle with any of these symptoms but because they just want a healthy baby, and by increasing their overall health through acupuncture this will help to increase the health of the baby. Some women use acupuncture with the hope that it will to induce labor. This type of birth acupuncture begins at 37 weeks and continues up until birth . The acupuncture helps to soften the cervix to facilitate a smooth birth. Women who wish to have a natural birth may look into this option.

Acupuncture during pregnancy can also reduce nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness and since the medications that can be taken during pregnancy is very limited, having acupuncture during pregnancy may be a good way to solve some of these unbearable pregnancy symptoms.

The 2013 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) review found that acupuncture was effective for relieving nausea associated with analgesia from c-sections, so it is also beneficial after pregnancy.

Does Acupuncture during pregnancy Hurt?

The reason I avoided acupuncture during pregnancy was that I thought that it would hurt, I mean there is no way needles can penetrate the skin without some sort of pain, right? Well wrong! Acupuncture is  not a painful procedure. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort.  You may often don’t feel them inserted at all. A typical acupuncture procedure uses 5 to 20 needles. You may feel a mild aching sensation when a needle reaches the correct depth.

Side Effects of Acupuncture During Pregnancy

Acupuncture when done by a trained professional is largely considered to be safe with very few risks. Most risks associated with acupuncture are minor and include soreness, redness, or infection at the insertion sites and injury from needles placed too deeply.

 All in all acupuncture may be something that you would like to try during your pregnancy or after. I can’t say for certain if it works but the reviews for the most part appears to be positive.

If you have tried it let me know where you had it done and whether it worked or you.

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