Pregnancy and Acupuncture

Whether you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you might want to try acupuncture which benefits are truly remarkable!

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is considered to be a form of alternative treatment which originated from traditional Chinese medicine. This treatment method is primarily used to treat pain and other health problems.*

Acupuncture basically involves the practice of needle insertion to acupuncture points in the body to balance the flow of energy (known as qi or chi) that flows on pathways (or meridians) in the body. Unblocking or restoring the balance of energy flow within the body would therefore help treat various health problems.*

How is fertility and acupuncture related?

With the availability of different modern techniques used for fertility, the age-old treatment – acupuncture, is fast becoming a popular alternative therapy to increase conception rates. Studies have been conducted regarding this subject and evidences proving its effectiveness are increasing.*

Although the exact mechanism of action of acupuncture to boost fertility is unknown, researchers and acupuncturists suggest that acupuncture:

– Increase blood flow to the ovaries enabling these to receive greater hormonal stimulation
– Relax muscle tissue and increase blood flow to the uterus enabling the uterus lining to absorb nutrients and hormones ideal for embryo implanting
– Help regulate hormone production and impact egg production and possibly ovulation
– Help relieve stress which could increase the chances of conception.

To boost chances of conceiving, it is important to know the proper acupuncture points for infertility. Acupuncture points to increase conception rates can be found in different areas of the body such as the face, mid-section of the body or abdominal-pelvic area and back of the body.*

How is pregnancy and acupuncture related?

While acupuncture primarily aids in pain management, it also has numerous benefits for pregnant women. It is fast becoming popular as a non-drug treatment to help with pregnancy symptoms like*:

– Reduce nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness
– Help regulate sleep
– Reduce headaches
– Reduce lower back and pelvic pain
– Help relieve depression and stress

Apart from these benefits, acupuncture can also help in inducing labor naturally. A study conducted revealed that acupuncture induction can help women to go into labor on their own and even help in lessening the chances of delivering by cesarean section.*