Natural & Healthy Pregnancy with Acupuncture
These days more and more women turn to complementary therapies to help boosting their fertility and go through pregnancy as well as possible. One of these therapies is acupuncture, a branch of Chinese Medicine, which has stood the test of time and is still very much used today in the East, and increasingly so in the West, to help achieve naturally a healthy pregnancy.
Acupuncture is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, one of the world's oldest systems of medicine.
According to Traditional Chinese philosophy, a smooth and balanced flow of energy, or Qi, is associated to a healthy state of the individual, while a disrupted, obstructed or deficient flow manifests as illness. Treatment aims at restoring balance between the equal and opposite qualities of Qi by inserting very fine needles in specific points along the energy channels, or meridians.Acupuncture exerts some of its effects by releasing natural hormones called endorphins and encephalin in the body. It may also change the way that pain messages are sent to the brain, can increase local blood supply and stimulate the release of natural steroids.
Acupuncture and Pregnancy
Acupuncture treatments can be helpful throughout a pregnancy and can be used to relieve morning sickness, treat insomnia, oedema, sciatica, back pain, constipation and many of the other discomforts of pregnancy. It can also strengthen the constitution of the mother-to-be which makes for a smoother pregnancy and healthier baby.
Moxibustion, a technique often used in conjunction with acupuncture, is also often used during pregnancy. The moxa herb is used to gently warm certain points and has been found to have properties that can strengthen the body, relax the mind and stimulate Qi. Moxibustion can be used to supplement an acupuncture treatment or instead of needles for those that are needle sensitive.
Acupuncture is safe to use while you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and can be useful to treat ailments that would otherwise require medication (e.g. colds, sore throat, pain usually requiring the use of strong painkillers, etc). In the later stages of pregnancy, moxibustion on the acupuncture point BL-67 can help turn a breech baby, and acupuncture can induce labour if you are overdue, hence avoiding the all too painful process of being induced medically in hospital.
There are some points that should not be needled during pregnancy or should be used with extreme caution so make sure you get treatment from a registered practitioner[1]. All acupuncturists now use disposable needles so there is no risk of infection being passed on.
To find a UK registered practitioner (some practising in Spain) go the to the British Acupuncture Council website www.acupuncture.org.uk. If you have any queries regarding acupuncture in the[1] Members of the British Acupuncture Council have completed a minimum of a three-year course in traditional acupuncture, and are therefore entitled to use the letters MBAcC after their name. UK members are covered by a professional indemnity and public liability insurance and bound by the council's Code of Ethics and Practice.
