Although the first trimester can be an exciting time for many expecting mothers, it doesn’t come without its fair share of difficulties. These difficulties include morning sickness (which up to 90% of newly expecting mothers experience), fatigue, heartburn, headaches, and a lowered immune system. Because acupuncture is a natural remedy to help treat these things, more and more women are turning to it to help with these problems.
There are a wide range of symptoms and issues that acupuncture can help with for the expecting mother. These symptoms include:
- Morning Sickness
- Hyperemesis Gravidarum (a condition very similar to severe morning sickness)
- Helping to stop bleeding and spotting in your first few months of pregnancy
- Swelling in the legs
- Migraine headaches
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Depression and anxiety
- Lower back, hip, pelvic, and leg pain
A Closer Look at Some of These Pregnancy Symptoms
Lower Back and Pelvic Pain: Two separate studies found that acupuncture can help pelvic pain. A 2015 Cochrane Review found that acupuncture was more effective in improving pelvic pain compared to your usual prenatal care. The second study published the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology shows research how acupuncture can reduce pain in both your lower back and your pelvic region during pregnancy.
Depression and Anxiety: Because nearly one in four women experience depression during their pregnancy, it is important to go into more detail about this symptom. A study conducted in 2010 published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal shows that the severity of depression symptoms had been decreased for most of the women that received acupuncture for depression during an eight-week clinical trial.
Migraines and Headaches: Research on this topic shows that acupuncture can help to reduce pregnancy-induced headaches, as well as reducing the amount of medication that women took for their headaches overall.
Sleep Issues: Both falling and STAYING asleep can be a problem in general, but it becomes even tougher while you’re pregnant. Some studies have shown that pregnant women that undergo acupuncture treatments sleep better during their pregnancies.
Are There Any Risks Involved?
Even though acupuncture is generally considered a safe and low-risk treatment option, it is always best to run it by your doctor before you proceed. Many doctors are referring their patients to acupuncture for natural alternatives for issues before trying medication since patients are more limited with what they can take once pregnant. The main risks associated with acupuncture apply to all patients (regardless of whether you’re pregnant or not). These simply include soreness, redness or bruising in the area where a needle was placed.
So overall, acupuncture is a safe and all-natural alternative to help alleviate your symptoms associated with pregnancy, especially in your first and second trimesters. And as mentioned previously, due to the low risks involved with acupuncture treatments, it is becoming more popular among pregnant women. So, if you’re curious and looking for a natural solution, feel free to contact us (once you check with your doctor) to set up an appointment!
This article originally appeared here and has been re-published with the author's permission.
Deanna Carell is a licensed acupuncturist and owner of Deanna Carell Acupuncture located in Nutley, NJ. She is also the co-owner of Microessence, LLC a company specializing in microneedling courses, devices and natural skin care. Deanna most recently received her Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DAOM) from the Pacific College of Health and Science in San Diego and she received a Master’s degree from the Eastern School of Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine where she studied TCM and Kiiko style Japanese acupuncture.
