Is acupuncture for pregnancy safe?

Acupuncture for pregnancy is a form of traditional therapy that has been used in cultures across Asia to relieve the aches and pains related to pregnancy. Pregnancy, although a period of joy and excitement, provides a lot of discomfort for the mother. This is why, to get some comfort, some people turn to alternative means to ease the feeling of sickness and back pain, without risking the use of strong medications.

Since pregnancy implies a very fragile state for the mother, major concerns are associated with the safety of using acupuncture for pregnancy. In this article, we will try to find out the benefits as well as precautions one must take while using acupuncture for pregnancy.

Acupuncture for pregnancy

The process of acupuncture involves inserting metal needles into specific points in our bodies. While stimulating these points, the practitioner tries to balance the yin (slow, cold) and yan (excited, hot) forces of the body, which finally allows a flow of qi (life force). This is an ancient medium of therapy to relieve stiffness and pain, not just in case of pregnancy but also for people suffering from muscle and joint ailments.

There is practical research that suggests the efficiency of acupuncture in curing a variety of conditions, including muscle stiffness, chronic pain, and headaches. Athletes and bodybuilders are popularly known to use acupuncture as a medium of recovery.

Other potential uses of acupuncture for pregnancy include treating nausea or vomiting, back, pelvis, and neck pain, headaches, insomnia, depression, digestive disorders, constipation, edema (swelling), and labor pain, among others.

Major benefits of acupuncture for pregnancy

There is a growing body of research that tries to find out all the health benefits of using acupuncture for pregnancy. Some of the major health benefits of acupuncture during pregnancy are as follows:

Morning sickness

Nausea may be a common symptom (Image via Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

Numerous evidences show that acupuncture can help cure the feeling of nausea and vomiting, which is common during pregnancy. One review suggested that stimulation of the P6 acupressure point, which is also known as the spleen channel, influences the digestive system.

Aches and pains

Pregnancy may cause joint pains (Image via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

During the time of pregnancy, the hormone relaxin loosens, and combines with the body weight that keeps on increasing. As the months progress, with the growth of the baby, the mother might be dealing with pelvic and back pain during the second and third trimesters. Acupuncture is effective in curing lower back pain and additionally relieves emotional discomfort.

Labour pain

Research studies done on pregnant women showed that using acupuncture for pregnancy was effective as a measure for relieving labor pain (epidural), as compared to other methods like transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation and traditional pain medications.

Also, using acupuncture for relieving pain did not show any major impact on the overall length of labor.

Depression

Depression during pregnancy (antepartum depression) is a common symptom that affects almost 15 percent of pregnant women. Using acupuncture or massage has been shown to help with these depressive symptoms.

Research has shown that the group of women using acupuncture experienced better improvement in mental health as compared to the group using traditional methods.

Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?

Though acupuncture evolved as a traditional practice, in the present time, more research is being done on the benefits of acupuncture, and its effectiveness during pregnancy.

Current information suggests that using acupuncture for pregnancy is comparatively safe, although some side effects may surface in rare cases. One may experience mild complications, which include swelling at the needle insertion points, but they don't last for a long time.

Acupuncture is considerably safe during pregnancy (Image via Pexels/Thirdman)

However, one needs to take some precautions and should avoid certain acupuncture points during pregnancy as this may lead to negative outcomes. Some of the pressure points to avoid, also referred as forbidden points, during pregnancy, are as follows:

BL60 (bladder channel)
SP6 (spleen channel)
L14 (large intestine channel)
GB21 (gall bladder channel)
LU7 (lung channel)
Sacral Area
Lower Back
Lower abdominal points (CV3 to CV7)

Research has not found any strong link between acupuncture for pregnancy and its risks to pregnant women or babies. Pressing certain points may lead to stimulating uterine contractions and even cervical changes, hence it is always wise to speak to your doctor before starting the acupuncture process.

If you have some concerns about preterm labor or other factors during pregnancy, it needs to be cleared with the doctor before. Some other risks may involve swelling, redness, and bleeding at the insertion points or sometimes infections. Other risks may also involve headaches, fatigue, dizziness, trouble sleeping, and nausea.

Speak to your doctor if you are interested in trying acupuncture. With proper treatment and consultation, the risks decrease majorly, and can help relieve the pain, without any side effects.