Acupuncture For Postpartum Anxiety And Depression

Postpartum hormone fluctuations can put you through the emotional ringer. Even if you’ve never struggled with anxiety before, you may develop anxiety after giving birth simply because your hormones are out of balance. For women suffering from depression and anxiety after their pregnancies, acupuncture can help improve their moods and emotional stability. But what makes acupuncture for postpartum anxiety so effective?

Acupuncture is a safe treatment for women suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety. Regular acupuncture sessions relieve stress, modulate neurotransmitter activity, and balance hormones. 

Acupuncture relieves stress

Caring for your newborn is a special time, but it can also be overwhelming. Newborns sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, which sounds like a lot. But because they sleep in short bursts of 20 to 50 minutes at a time, it can make getting a full night’s sleep nearly impossible. And trying to care for a baby when you’re short on sleep, at a time when you desperately need to rest, is stressful, to say the least.

New moms need to give their bodies time to heal. At Integrative Healing Arts, we advise new moms of the practice of the Chinese tradition “Zuo Yue Zi”, or “sitting the month”. This period focuses on resting as much as possible to recover from pregnancy, eating nourishing, blood-building foods, and bonding with your baby. While we realize that for many women, a complete month of rest with support isn’t possible, we can still make postpartum health a priority.

Whether you’re able to practice the one-month sitting or not, acupuncture is a non-drug therapy that can help as you recover after pregnancy and promote healing. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce the perception of stress. This effect is so potent that acupuncture is often recommended for women undergoing IVF or IUI, as it can significantly enhance embryo transfer success rates.

Stress is a major contributor to anxiety. With a newborn to care for, it can be hard to remember to take care of your needs. With so much to do, it can feel like your world is spinning out of control. By making acupuncture part of your stress management plan, you can address your anxiety and your whole body’s healing.  

Acupuncture combats insomnia

Many new moms will experience sleepless nights and insomnia. A big part of that is because babies have unpredictable sleep patterns. What can you do? Anxiety can also play a role in insomnia after pregnancy. Because acupuncture promotes relaxation and feel-good chemicals that help regulate the circadian rhythm, it can make it easier for you to sleep when the baby sleeps and give your full love and attention to your child.

Acupuncture influences the release of melatonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, and endorphins. These neurotransmitters play an important role in sleep cycles. Not only that, but they also influence anxiety levels. GABA, for instance, has a calming effect on the brain, while endorphins can enhance your sense of well-being by inhibiting anxiety.

During an acupuncture session, needles are placed into specific acupuncture points along energy lines known as meridians. The needles enter superficially and create “micro-trauma” to the tissue. You may experience a feeling of warmth and tingling around the needle and then notice a feeling of relaxation. This is the relaxation response from the parasympathetic nervous system known as rest and digest.

Acupuncture modulates neurotransmitters which means it addresses more than just muscle tension. When you feel less tension in your muscles, it is a sign that your body is able to experience deep relaxation mentally and emotionally. Less stress and can help you feel strong and confident as you navigate motherhood. So if your mind is keeping you up at night with worry or racing thoughts, acupuncture can help provide you with relief.

Acupuncture balances hormones after pregnancy

After pregnancy, your hormone levels are dramatically shifting, with estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels falling sharply. This is normal as your body readjusts after childbirth. The fluctuating hormones can result in crying spells, frustration, guilt, shame, feelings of anxiousness, on edge, and depression.

If you are breastfeeding, the demand on the body and feeding schedule can delay feeling physically and emotionally strong again. Acupuncture will make a positive difference to you as you recover post-pregnancy.

Numerous studies have shown acupuncture’s ability to improve postpartum depression. Because it's a non-drug and gentle, acupuncture can be used to help women cope with symptoms of depression even during pregnancy. Its adaptogenic nature makes it well-suited as an excellent supportive therapy, regardless of what stage of motherhood you are in.

Acupuncture is excellent for supporting women’s health and hormonal issues, including menopause, premature ovarian failure, menstrual cycle irregularities, and PCOS. It is a powerful and natural way to balance hormones after pregnancy. Studies show that acupuncture raises estrogen and progesterone, as well as prolactin, which is especially beneficial if you’re breastfeeding.

Hormonal balance is directly tied to mental and emotional well-being because hormones and neurotransmitters are inextricably linked. Estrogen, for instance, influences serotonin activity. When estrogen levels fall, so does serotonin activity, and this can lead to depression, low mood, and anxiety. Acupuncture influences both estrogen levels and serotonin activity so that you can enjoy the effects of this powerful “happy hormone”. 

Other therapies that can help treat postpartum anxiety and depression

It’s worth noting that other factors can contribute to postpartum anxiety and depression. Preexisting mood disorders and other factors like complex PTSD may put you at an increased risk of developing postpartum anxiety and depression after delivery.

Postpartum anxiety and depression can develop up to a year after delivery.

Regardless of the underlying cause of your anxiety, beginning acupuncture treatments can make a big difference for you. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to reduce stress and promote peace of mind. But it’s not the only therapeutic offering we have at our disposal to improve your anxiety-related symptoms.

Massage therapy is beneficial for many clients to help manage stress levels. A therapeutic massage can help you relieve stress and tension you may not have been aware you were carrying, and that can positively support your mental health and wellness.

Herbal medicine is also helpful to support the body and mind after pregnancy. However, herbal supplements should never be taken without professional guidance and special consideration if you are breastfeeding. 

Contact Integrative Healing Arts today

Postpartum anxiety and depression can last for weeks, months, or even years after you have given birth. If you’re struggling to cope with postpartum anxiety or depression, know that you have options.

Acupuncture is a safe, gentle therapy that can support you as you recover after childbirth by regulating your hormones, relieving stress, improving sleep, and supporting emotional well-being.

To learn more about how acupuncture can improve your anxiety post-pregnancy, get in touch with us today. At Integrative Healing Arts, we understand that every patient has different needs. We’ll work with you to create a holistic healing plan that allows you to meet your wellness goals.

What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture After C-Section?

Motherhood is a gift, but, let’s face it, pregnancy and childbirth are major life changing events. Carrying a baby can take a lot out of you, and the journey doesn’t stop once you’ve delivered your baby. 

Vaginal delivery, while natural can be challenging with recovery, and C-sections (a major surgery) come with longer healing time and their own set of side effects that can be difficult to manage.  

It can take up to a year or longer to recover from having a baby to feel “normal”.

If you’ve recently had a baby via C-section, and are looking for natural ways to help you as you recover, you may be wondering what benefits acupuncture after C-section has to offer.

Many mothers rely on acupuncture after delivery and their C-sections to speed healing, relieve pain, reduce stress, support postpartum depression, and rebalance hormones. Acupuncture can play a critical role in supporting pelvic floor function post-pregnancy. 

Acupuncture alleviates postoperative C-section pain

A C-section isn’t just a means of giving birth. It’s also a major surgery, one that places a huge amount of stress on the body when it’s already quite vulnerable. 

During a C-section, the surgeon makes an incision through seven different layers of tissue.

• Skin.

• Subcutaneous fat.

• Fascia.

• Muscle.

• Peritoneum.

• Uterus.

• Amniotic Sac.

You can imagine the healing needed once the layers are stitched back up after the procedure. A C-section involves cutting through flesh and muscle, and it can be painful, especially as your body begins to readjust after pregnancy.

While a C-Section is a major surgery and painful; if she intends to breastfeed a woman is prescribed ibuprofen or NSAIDS, to help them manage pain. Opioids or codeine may be prescribed for breakthrough pain.

But pain meds can contribute to liver damage, and if you have a personal history or family history of addiction, you may want to steer clear of these types of medications. Fortunately, acupuncture can be used to ease pain naturally, so you can reduce your reliance on pain meds and support healing.

In a randomized trial, women who received acupuncture shortly after their C-sections reported less pain than women who did not receive acupuncture. Additionally, women in the acupuncture group were mobilized more quickly than the control group. 

Even if it’s been several weeks months or even years since you had your C-section, you can still reap the benefits of acupuncture. Acupuncture accelerates the healing process by calming tense muscles, supporting healthy muscle function, and stimulating collagen synthesis to promote C-section incision healing and prevent the development of scar tissue.

Acupuncture rebalances hormones postpartum

During pregnancy, the body ramps up hormone production to support a growing baby, and after labor, hormone levels fall. It’s all a natural part of the process. But because hormones play such a huge role in mood regulation, postpartum hormonal imbalances can leave you feeling down. Baby blues are real. Don’t worry, though, acupuncture can help you through it.

Sometimes, after childbirth, the body starts producing too much cortisol and not enough estrogen or progesterone. For some women, the opposite is true. Regardless of the nature of your postpartum hormonal imbalances, acupuncture can help because of the balancing effect it has on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.

Acupuncture gently supports hormonal balance, so you can get back to feeling normal after your pregnancy. Regular sessions also help regulate neurotransmitters to stabilize your moods and enhance your well-being. Acupuncture has long been used as an alternative therapy for postpartum depression, and it can help you feel better faster after your C-section.

Acupuncture can help new mothers cope with stress

Caring for your newborn after a C-section can be stressful. Because a C-section is an invasive surgery, patients require downtime to heal. But getting downtime during one of the busiest times of your life is a lot easier said than done.

New moms have a lot on their plate. Between caring for a baby, coping with the pain of a C-section, and dealing with hormonal fluctuations and mood swings? It’s a lot of stress. And stress is terrible for your health, especially as you begin postpartum recovery. 

We always recommend our new moms start acupuncture as a part of their stress management plan as soon as possible after their C-sections. Acupuncture promotes healthy stress hormone levels. On top of that, acupuncture encourages muscle relaxation.

Ever get a stress headache? Or maybe your back or neck gets a cramp when you’re feeling overwhelmed. That’s because, often, we carry tension in our muscles. Because acupuncture physically forces muscles to relax, this sends a message to the brain, encouraging it to relax, too. And so, the circle of relaxation continues so you can enjoy being a new mom. 

Acupuncture helps restore healthy pelvic floor function

One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction. Pregnancy stretches the muscles in your pelvic floor, and this weakens them. Many women develop cystoceles or rectoceles after their pregnancies, and even though these conditions are most often seen in women who have given birth vaginally, they can still develop in women who have undergone C-sections.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common after-effect of pregnancy, one that can lead to bladder and/or fecal incontinence, as well as recurrent UTIs and a host of sexual issues. But acupuncture can help with all of that, too.

Acupuncture supports healthy muscle function, and because it also stimulates collagen synthesis, it can keep your muscles nice and supple as they regain their strength post-pregnancy. Not only that but because the muscles that make up the pelvic floor are estrogen-sensitive, acupuncture can further improve pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms by regulating hormones.

One study showed that using acupuncture after giving birth reduced pelvic pain and improved pelvic floor strength. So much so that the women who receive acupuncture saw a reduced chance of developing a prolapse after giving birth. 

Get in touch with us today

With so many benefits to offer, acupuncture can play a valuable role in your C-section recovery plan. Regular sessions will help you get back on your feet faster so you can feel better and cherish every minute you spend with your newborn.

At Integrative Healing Arts, we’re passionate about helping out clients as they embark on their health journeys. We understand that every client is unique and that no two treatment protocols look exactly alike. We’re happy to work with you so you can meet your wellness goals.

Get in touch with us today to book your first appointment. You’ll be amazed at just how beneficial acupuncture can be to your overall health.

What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture During Pregnancy?

You’re excited about welcoming a new addition to your family, but your pregnancy symptoms have you at your wit’s end. For some women, pregnancy gets easier as time goes by. But for others, it’s just a brand new set of debilitating symptoms week after week. Pregnancy puts your body through some major physiological changes, so it’s normal to experience some symptoms. Once those symptoms start interfering with your life, though, it’s time to look to supportive therapies. No matter how mild or severe your pregnancy symptoms are, acupuncture can help. But what exactly are the benefits of acupuncture during pregnancy?

Acupuncture supports healthy hormone levels while also promoting optimal muscle function and reducing pain. Acupuncture has been used for centuries to reduce pregnancy symptoms, like morning sickness, and encourage a healthy delivery. 

Acupuncture helps control pregnancy symptoms

Pregnancy should be a special time for you, but pregnancy symptoms can make life miserable if they get out of hand. Morning sickness, heartburn, indigestion, ankle swelling, fatigue, and insomnia are just the tip of the iceberg. As your baby grows, these symptoms morph into lower back, pelvic and hip pain, and symptoms of sciatica. 

All of these symptoms can contribute to a growing sense of stress, and that’s really the number one benefit of acupuncture — it reduces stress and leaves you with a more positive frame of mind. Acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins, feel-good neurotransmitters that modulate your mood, reining in those pregnancy mood swings and making you feel better. 

Endorphins also raise your pain threshold. Acupuncture has the unique ability to release pent-up muscle tension. Not only that, but it also encourages muscles to function properly, thereby preventing more pain in the future. Better muscle function also means improved digestion, easing your nausea and other unpleasant gastric symptoms. 

Acupuncture doesn’t just address morning sickness, back, hip, and sciatica pain. But the increase in circulation means help for your ankle swelling, too. Plus, research shows that acupuncture improves sleep quality and duration, so you can finally catch some Z’s before the baby comes. 

Acupuncture prepares the body for delivery

Keeping your pregnancy symptoms in check is one thing, but preparing for delivery is another. You want to make sure your body is ready for childbirth to make sure your labor is as short and easy as possible. 

You may not think that acupuncture can do much to prepare your body for childbirth, but it can actually help in a variety of ways. As we touched on a minute ago, acupuncture supports healthy muscle function. Ensuring your muscles are working together, and working smoothly, will go a long way toward preparing your body for labor. 

But acupuncture also helps by ripening the cervix and releasing oxytocin during the final days of your third trimester. Acupuncture is so effective at assisting the body in the late stages of pregnancy that it can even be used to induce labor. 

Good pelvic muscle tone will help you throughout your pregnancy, and even after labor as your body expels the placenta. If you’ve struggled with incontinence in the final weeks of your pregnancy (which is completely normal, by the way), acupuncture can help you with that, too. Acupuncture is an excellent way to tone your pelvic floor and regain healthy bladder control as you recover.

Acupuncture helps keep your baby in the proper position

In an ideal scenario, as you near your due date, your baby rotates into the proper position for birth — head down toward the cervix. But it doesn’t always happen this way. Sometimes, the baby is reluctant to turn. Sometimes the baby was turned the right way before getting turned around. These things happen. 

How exactly does your baby get into position, anyway? Well, during pregnancy, the uterus produces small contractions that help turn the baby into the correct position. In some cases, as in breech births, the babies don’t get the message, so to speak, and remain with their bottoms facing the cervix, which isn’t ideal.

Acupuncture is an effective method for turning babies into the correct position before birth. When used in combination with moxibustion, a therapy that involves burning mugwort near the skin to stimulate certain trigger points, acupuncture has been used to successfully turn breech-positioned babies before delivery. Pretty impressive, huh?

Acupuncture can assist you in your postpartum recovery

Your pregnancy symptoms may not stop the minute you give birth. Postpartum symptoms can be just as challenging as the ones you faced during your first trimester. We advise new moms to continue routine acupuncture treatments to help them cope with the stress of caring for a newborn and rebalance their hormones.

Remember, acupuncture releases endorphins. It also has a modulating effect on your brain chemistry, and your hormones, which makes it a wonderful therapy for postpartum depression. The “baby blues” can hit you hard after birth. Mood swings and bouts of weepiness are normal after pregnancy, but acupuncture can make it easier to manage your emotions and get back to feeling normal.

It’s important to be patient with yourself and gentle with your body during postpartum care. In addition to acupuncture, we also advise our clients to engage in “Zuo Yue Zi”, or the one-month sitting. During this time, we advise new moms to reduce stress as much as possible and to focus on sleep, rest, and good nutrition.

The one-month sitting is a time to bond with your new baby as you allow your body to recover. In addition to acupuncture, certain herbs can be used to help you cope with your postpartum symptoms. Please note, however, that herbs can be very potent. Never take medicinal herbs unless directed by a licensed herbalist. Otherwise, you may risk developing even worse symptoms. 

Contact us today to get started

There are many benefits to using acupuncture during pregnancy. It can help make you feel better on a physical and mental level, and it gently prepares your body for ushering your baby into the world.

If you’d like to learn more about how acupuncture can help you throughout your pregnancy, get in contact with us today. 

At Integrative Healing Arts, we’re happy to work with each of our clients to come up with a customized plan that suits their schedule and needs. No matter where you are in your pregnancy, we’ll be here to help you through it.

Acupuncture For Morning Sickness Relief

Most expecting mothers begin experiencing morning sickness around week 6 of their pregnancy. Morning sickness can include nausea and vomiting, and while some women experience these symptoms more often than others, they usually go away after the first trimester. That said, some women experience morning sickness well into their third trimester. Morning symptoms can make your pregnancy miserable, and severely restrict your ability to engage in everyday activities. If you’re looking for safe, natural relief for your pregnancy-related stomach troubles, it’s time to consider acupuncture for morning sickness.

Acupuncture treats morning sickness by releasing endorphins, alleviating stress, and reducing stomach acid production. Together, these benefits promote healthy digestion, reducing heartburn, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. 

How does acupuncture treat morning sickness?

The first way that acupuncture helps treat morning sickness is by reducing stress. Stress can be very disruptive to the body, interfering with collagen production and wound healing, making you look and feel older. It can also slow your digestion and increase stomach acid production, both of which can contribute to morning sickness.

By keeping stress in check, acupuncture can help you tackle morning sickness, as well as the back pain and fatigue caused by pregnancy. Acupuncture soothes overactive muscles, allowing your digestive system to function as it should, so you digest your food normally and get healthy hunger signals — which means regular acupuncture sessions can help you rein in your rampant pregnancy cravings, too.

Good digestion is so important, especially when you’re pregnant because it ensures your body can get all of the nutrients it needs to support your growing baby. But acupuncture can help alleviate morning sickness in another way, and that is by triggering the release of endorphins.

Endorphins are feel-good neurotransmitters that help raise your pain threshold naturally. Endorphins reduce tension and make you feel more relaxed, both physically and mentally. Acupuncture also modulates the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which plays a role in the onset of nausea and vomiting. 

How fast does acupuncture for morning sickness work?

Most women respond to acupuncture treatment very quickly and experience almost immediate relief from their morning sickness, as well as many of their other symptoms. This makes acupuncture incredibly beneficial during pregnancy. Of course, every woman is different, so it may take several sessions before you see a real difference in your symptoms.

We typically recommend weekly or twice weekly sessions for pregnant women experiencing morning sickness. Generally, the more mild the case, the less often you’ll need treatments. Severe morning sickness can be more challenging to treat and may require additional therapies and/or lifestyle changes to manage.

Hyperemesis gravidarum, the most extreme form of morning sickness, can be especially difficult to manage. This form of morning sickness is characterized by severe nausea and vomiting, accompanied by weight loss, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. Acupuncture has proven to be an effective treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum because it supports healthy digestion and regulates the appetite.

How you manage your morning sickness depends on the severity of your symptoms. If you’ve been pregnant in the past, and have a history of severe or prolonged morning sickness, that’s important to keep in consideration, too. Fortunately, there are many strategies for making your morning sickness more manageable.

Lifestyle and dietary tips for beating morning sickness

Your hormones are fluctuating constantly during your pregnancy as you progress from week to week. These adjustments contribute to morning sickness, and on a certain level, that’s completely normal. But if your morning sickness has gotten so intense that you can barely leave the house, or even leave the bathroom, it’s time to take action.

You can combat your morning sickness symptoms with a few easy dietary and lifestyle changes. Start by eating fewer meals more often throughout the day. This will help you develop normal eating patterns and hunger signals. It will also help quench all that stomach acid to keep heartburn at bay.

Consider investing in a wedge pillow, which allows you to sleep at an incline. These pillows can be majorly helpful for fighting heartburn, and, in turn, morning nausea. Keep a box of crackers by your bed to eat before you get up in the morning, too. If you’re sensitive to strong aromas and flavors right now, then choose bland foods. And remember to include protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats in each meal.

Exercise is also important to release endorphins, reduce stress, and maintain healthy muscle function. An easy 20-minute stroll, or gentle yoga routine, can be incredibly beneficial. Remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and avoid caffeine and other trigger foods that may be contributing to your morning sickness. 

How can herbal medicine help manage morning sickness?

The right herbs in the right doses can nip your morning sickness in the bud. Ginger, in particular, has been used for centuries to treat morning sickness, as well as other digestive ailments. Ginger supports healthy digestion by increasing gut motility. Chamomile can also be beneficial because it acts as an anti-spasmodic. Plus, its sedative qualities make it a great choice if you have trouble sleeping.

Peppermint is another longtime favorite for treating stomach issues, not just morning sickness. Keeping a tin of mints on hand can help you manage small bouts of nausea throughout the day, and drinking peppermint tea in the morning can help you get on top of your symptoms.

Meanwhile, raspberry leaf, which is traditionally brewed into tea, is a powerhouse when it comes to female health. Not only can it help ease morning sickness, but because it’s rich in iron and B vitamins, it also acts as a blood builder. Raspberry leaf tones the uterus, promoting efficient contractions during childbirth and reducing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. It’s also a good home remedy for PMS and menstrual cramps.

Many herbs can help you overcome morning sickness. But herbs can be quite powerful. So always talk to a licensed herbalist before taking them. The wrong herb can make your symptoms worse, or create a slew of new symptoms. At Integrative Healing Arts, we’ll help you determine which herbs will work best for your specific needs. 

Book an appointment today

Morning sickness can prevent you from enjoying this special time in your life, but acupuncture can help!

Get in touch with us today to book your first appointment. At Integrative Healing Arts, we’ve helped countless women overcome their pregnancy symptoms and finally find relief. 

Acupuncture For Pregnancy Back Pain Relief

The minute you find out you’re pregnant is life-changing. Pregnancy is a special time in any mom-to-be’s life, but it’s also challenging. The hormonal fluctuations created by pregnancy can contribute to a variety of unpleasant symptoms, from ankle swelling and morning sickness to fatigue and insatiable cravings. Some women experience a more severe set of symptoms than others, but almost all pregnant women experience back pain at some point during their gestation. If you’re struggling with musculoskeletal issues that are only getting worse from one trimester to the next, why not consider acupuncture for pregnancy back pain relief?

Acupuncture is a safe, holistic treatment for back pain caused by pregnancy. Acupuncture releases tension and supports healthy muscle function all while releasing endorphins, which can raise your pain threshold naturally. 

How does acupuncture treat pregnancy-related back pain?

Carrying your baby is a special experience, but it takes a real physical toll, too. As your baby develops, not only does it begin pressing on surrounding organs and nerves, but it also places an additional strain on your muscles, as they’re forced to stretch and contract to support the growing weight.

Acupuncture has so many benefits to offer pregnant women. From your first trimester to your last, acupuncture can help you cope with the many different symptoms of pregnancy, and it’s completely safe for both you and your baby.

When it comes to treating back pain specifically, acupuncture works wonders because of its ability to release muscle tension. This will make you feel more relaxed and encourage your muscles to work efficiently, without spasming and creating discomfort.

Acupuncture has been shown to significantly reduce back pain in pregnant women, and not only because of its ability to ease muscle tension. Interestingly, acupuncture also has a strong influence on the way your body perceives pain. Acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins. These neurotransmitters act as all-natural pain relief by increasing your pain threshold naturally. Endorphins also promote a sense of well-being, so you feel less stressed all the way around. 

Can acupuncture treat hip and pelvic pain, too?

Back pain is a major complaint for many pregnant women, and it’s not uncommon for that pain to radiate to the hips and pelvic area. It’s little wonder why! Nevertheless, it can be incredibly painful and make it difficult to get comfortable.

Studies show that acupuncture is just as effective at treating hip and pelvic pain as it is at treating back pain. Acupuncture reduces pain and supports the normal function of the musculoskeletal system, making it easier to tackle pregnancy workouts or simply engage in your day-to-day activities.

Two additional benefits of using acupuncture include improving urinary continence, both before and after labor, by strengthing the muscles in the pelvic floor and promoting uterine tone to keep your baby in the proper position before birth.

Acupuncture can help you maintain bladder function as you near the end of your pregnancy, and overcome incontinence issues afterward. And because acupuncture can help keep your baby in the correct position, this also works to alleviate hip, pelvic, and back pain and improve your chances of an uncomplicated delivery. 

Can acupuncture treat pregnancy-related sciatica?

We know that acupuncture is great for addressing muscle tension. But let’s circle back for just a minute and talk about how acupuncture can also alleviate nerve pain. As your baby gets bigger from week to week, it pushes on surrounding organs, placing pressure on your spinal column, and leading to symptoms of sciatica. 

Many pregnant women struggle with back pain, as well as leg numbness and a sensation of pressure in the pelvic region. Regular acupuncture sessions can help you cope with these unpleasant side effects of pregnancy by improving circulation to your lower back and legs and supporting healthy nerve function. 

Sciatica and nerve pain are usually at their worst in the third trimester of pregnancy. That’s when the baby is at its biggest, so it only makes sense. Mothers carrying twins or triplets often have an even tougher time with sciatica. Fortunately, acupuncture has proven to be a safe holistic therapy for this type of back pain. 

Although it’s possible to experience a significant improvement in your symptoms after just one acupuncture session, studies show that regular sessions throughout pregnancy are most effective for managing sciatica pain. 

Acupuncture supports healthy muscle function throughout pregnancy (and afterward, too!)

When you’re pregnant, you’re muscles have to work twice as hard to support your baby and keep you balanced at the same time. It takes a lot of effort! So keeping your muscles in good working order is a must if you want to keep your pain levels under control. Staying active by engaging in regular gentle exercise is a great start. But acupuncture can help, too.

Good muscle function will also become important during childbirth. Ensuring your muscles are working together, and functioning properly, encourages efficient contractions. Good contractions can cut down on your labor time. It also makes it easier for your body to expel the placenta.

It’s also worth noting that, for some women, back pain doesn’t just magically go away after labor. Some women experience postpartum sciatica or simply have trouble eliminating their back pain after 9 months of carrying around a baby. Acupuncture can be beneficial in these cases as well.

Because acupuncture eases muscle tension and promotes healthy musculoskeletal function, it can be used to help your body recover in the weeks after you give birth. As your muscles re-adjust, acupuncture will help prevent them from becoming strained or developing painful knots. Furthermore, acupuncture can help you cope with the stressors of being a new mom, improving your appetite, regulating postpartum hormones, and improving sleep quality. 

Get in touch with us today

Back pain, and other symptoms of pregnancy, may be inevitable. However, they can be managed with the help of acupuncture.

At Integrative Healing Arts, we have years of experience helping women find relief from their debilitating pregnancy symptoms. We know that no two women are alike and that every pregnancy is different. We’ll work with you to help you cope with your pregnancy symptoms and get back on your feet after delivery. 

Get in touch with our office to book your first appointment and start enjoying the healing powers of acupuncture today.