Pregnancy & Acupuncture
As I’m sitting halfway through a rather slow summer day in clinic ( a total of 7 patients). I realized that more than half of the patients I’m seeing today are pregnant!
I have grown quite accustomed to being around pregnant women in the last year or so, since my wife and I had our little girl Chloe, it seems like my appointment book is filling up with: couples coming in to help get pregnant; women who need some relief from some of the “joys” of pregnancy; and infants who need some relief from the “joys” of being in the world (eczema, allergies, colic, rashes). It is absolutely wonderful!
I have written about helping breech babies turn with acupuncture and moxibustion, but that’s at the tail end of the pregnancy. I’d like to talk about the conditions that occur more readily throughout the pregnancy.
Low Back Pain
Lets start with the easiest and most common. Low back pain occurs in nearly 80% of the US population at some point during a lifetime and if you are a pregnant woman you will undoubtedly get it. This may have something to due with the extra 20-50 lbs hanging from your abdomen. 😉 The introduction of hormones that help loosen joint ( to help that bundle of joy out through your hips) also contributes to some vertebrae moving and pressing on nerves. Acupuncture is hands down one of the most effective ways to deal with low back pain due to pregnancy. During treatment needles will be placed both in the low back and areas that correspond to the back. While the needles are in fresh blood will infuse inflamed tissue allowing for muscles to soften, fresh nutrients to help damaged cells heal and carry away excess metabolic waste that may be trapped in surrounding tissues. All of these processes help ease pain in the back and promote strength without rigidity.
Morning Sickness, Nausea & Heartburn
My wife absolutely hates throwing up and guess what was her least favorite part about being pregnant. Fortunately for her, she’s married an acupuncturist, and in most cases morning sickness only lasts the first trimester. The cause of morning sickness may not be completely understood, but more than likely has to do with the cascade of high levels of new hormones flowing through a pregnant woman’s vessels. While we do not want to stop the hormones we can help mediate their less than pleasant effects. With a few small needles woman may experience instant relief from morning sickness and nausea, while more severe cases may taken several treatments to resolve.
Heartburn may rear it’s ugly head later in pregnancy. As your baby grows an belly expands there is less room for your organs and often times, the stomach, intestines and bladder get quite a bit of pressure placed on them. During this time the pyloric sphincter, which is located at the top of the stomach and whose primary function is to keep food and stomach acid from moving back up the esophagus, may have a hard time staying closed because of the pressure from the fetus. Using acupuncture we can help regulate the production of acid, and help relax the diaphragm. Yes, I am fully aware that the diaphragm controls breathing, but it is a muscle that the lower part of the esophagus,which is very close to the pyloric sphincter, passes through. Relaxing the diaphragm releases pressure from that part of the digestive tract and thereby helps relieve heartburn and acid reflux.
High Blood Pressure
Many women experience a spike in blood pressure during pregnancy. Once again we can look to the points that help relax the diaphragm. Along with the digestive tract, the aorta passes through. With increased pressure on the aorta, the main pathway for blood out of the heart, your blood pressure will rise. Relaxing the diaphragm takes pressure off the aorta allowing blood flow to occur with less restriction and thereby lowering your pressure. There is also a systemic effect that occurs during acupuncture in which the body’s autonomic nervous system, for short your fight/flight versus your rest/digest response, normalizes. Because of this regulation there is a widening of the blood vessels including the tiny capillaries which allows more room for the blood and also helps regulate the blood pressure.
Gestational Diabetes
Yes, we can help with this as well, but depending on the overall health of the expecting mother and the overall sugar levels, mom’s may still need to alter their diets and/or supplement with medication. This is another area where the autonomic nervous system seems to have the biggest effect. Pregnancy should be a time for expecting mothers to relax, however in todays modern world most women are working right up till the end and worrying about everything from finances to daycare to how do you put the car seat in the car! All of which keeps soon to be moms in a state of near constant fight or flight mode. During this time your whole body is more concerned with survival, rather than the proper breakdown of sugars. Regular acupuncture will help your body reset itself to a balanced autonomic nervous system and help promote normal levels of insulin, hopefully helping you deal with gestational diabetes.
We can help with a wide array of problems that occur pre-,during, and post- pregnancy. So if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or an acupuncturist near you.
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