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Pregnancy Care

Pregnancy obviously causes big changes, including hormonal changes, in a woman’s body, and it is not surprising that it is sometimes difficult to maintain balance and perfect health during this time. These changes can result in a number of problems, some of which are often regarded as part of a normal pregnancy, but which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the mother-to-be and possibly, in some cases, develop into more serious medical problems. Such pregnancy related problems include

  • Fatigue
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Back pain
  • Pelvic pain
  • Threatened miscarriage
  • Hypertension
  • Breech presentation
  • Overdue labour

Pregnancy and TCM

Acupuncture can be an invaluable form of treatment during pregnancy, especially since many women are reluctant to try treating their problems using drugs, particularly as many are not suitable for use during pregnancy. TCM treatment aims to restore a natural balance within the energy of the mother and baby so that the pregnancy proceeds smoothly and with as little stress and discomfort as possible. As well as the conditions mentioned, acupuncture is also used to help pregnancy-related problems such as constipation, heartburn, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, UTIs, insomnia, anxiety, vaginal discharges and oedema.

Is Acupuncture Helpful During Pregnancy?

A  positive Swedish study1 was carried out in 2005 to compare acupuncture as a treatment for pelvic pain in pregnancy with the standard conventional treatment of exercise routines. Acupuncture achieved the best results, surpassing even those of a specialised exercise routine. Commenting on this study, Dr Graham Archard2, vice-chair of the Royal College of GPs, said ,"The use of acupuncture to treat pain during pregnancy certainly seems credible. Pregnant women should be avoiding drugs so acupuncture, which releases the bodies natural painkillers, should be of benefit."

Research also shows the benefit of acupuncture for such conditions as nausea/vomiting, breech presentation, back pain and overdue labour3,4,5,6

References:

1  Elden H. et al (2005) Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised single blind controlled trial BMJ. 2005 April 2; 330(7494): 761

2  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4358509.stm

3  Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J (2002) Acupuncture to Treat Nausea and Vomiting in Early Pregnancy Birth, 29 1-9

4  Cardini F, Weixin H, (1998) Moxibustion for Correction of Breech Presentation Journal American Medical Association 280 1580-1584

5  Da Silva et al (2004) Acupuncture for low back pain in pregnancy – a prospective, quasi-randomised controlled study   Acupuncture in Medicine 22(2):60-67

6  Rabl et al (2001) Acupuncture for cervical ripening and induction of labour at term – a randomised controlled trial  Wiener klinische wochenshift (The Middle European Journal of Medicine) 113(23-24):942-946

Disclaimer
The Sean Barkes Clinic does not claim to cure any conventional medical disease states.  Traditional Chinese Medicine seeks to re-establish and maintain the harmonious function of the human body-mind using tried and tested principles that have been discovered and matured over millennia.  A Western medical diagnosis provides very little by way of insight in informing a Chinese Medical diagnosis.  Patients usually recognise their own condition in terms of the medical disease category that they have been given by their GP or other conventional medical practitioner.  The research presented here is merely an indication of the potential to draw parallels between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Modern Western Medicine.