How Does Acupuncture and Acupressure Help During Pregnancy?

Acupuncture is a therapeutic method that helps in correcting blockages and imbalances of what the Chinese medicine refers to as 'chi' or 'qi'. This may sound a bit kooky but this method has been working for about thousands of years. There are a number of mothers who talks good about it when it comes to banishing the pregnancy woes.

Basically, there are a number of acupuncture points, which run along dozens of energy pathways, which traverse the body. At the time of this therapeutic session, these energy pathways are stimulated by insertion of thin needles. All this is done to relieve the discomfort and help the body to maintain its own health.

All through the years acupuncture has proved to be very good in alleviating migraines, relieving morning sickness, decreasing exhaustion and for stopping bleeding or spotting in early months of pregnancy in Northern Beaches. These thin and small needles may even shrink hemorrhoids, extinguish heartburn and ease pains and aches from carpal tunnel to sciatica to back trouble. Acupuncturists also say that only one treatment in every month until last month of pregnancy can help in de-stressing. If this is done mothers will be able to enjoy this time in life in a much better way. Recent studies also point out to the acupuncture as an effective treatment for depression both at the time of as well as after pregnancy.

However, acupuncture and acupressure is not the same although the points treated in the acupressure are the same as in acupuncture. There are also many more differences in the treatment. It doesn’t use needles rather it makes use of pressure through firm massage on the specific points of body. Hands, fingers, knees, elbows and feet are used as tools for rubbing, kneading, drumming on and vibrating against the skin. The method of acupressure can be quite helpful in reliving back pain or morning sickness, among the other complaints of pregnancy. It can even help relieve contractions pain during labor.

While both acupressure and acupuncture are usually safe at the time of pregnancy, both of the treatments may cause contractions of muscle. You need to make sure that your therapist has good knowledge and experience in dealing with pregnant women and certified nationally. Acupressure pressure must be limited to not more than 60 minutes in total and the therapist must spend no more than fifteen minutes on any body part. Moreover, there are a few acupressure points on feet, which must be avoided during pregnancy because with over stimulation labor can be induced.