Acupuncture is touted as an effective method of pain relief during pregnancy. Many pregnant women suffer from issues like chronic back and pelvic pain, particularly into the third trimester where the size and weight of the baby can place undue stress on the lower back. Pregnant women can also suffer from headaches and migraines quite frequently.
Morning sickness, a bout of nausea and vomiting affecting pregnant women during the first, and sometimes early part of the second, trimester might benefit from acupuncture treatment. Morning sickness is perfectly normal, but it can be a nuisance, particularly as it is seldom restricted to the earlier hours of the day despite its title. Acupuncture has proven to be successful in the management of nausea, particularly post-operative nausea, and it is therefore not unlikely that it has some genuine benefits in remedying morning sickness.
Acupuncture is also touted as having positive effects on other common afflictions of pregnancy like tiredness, anxiety, tenderness in the breasts, and varicose veins. While these are claims are not supported by scientific evidence to date, acupuncture is sometimes an effective remedy for pregnant women suffering from these ailments. Whether this is because of a genuine effect exerted by the treatment or because of the placebo effect remains to be determined.
- 249 views
