Sunday, February 18, 2007

Acupressure and Pregnant Women


Acupressure provides multiple benefits for pregnant women. Acupressure uses tiny needles to activate areas of the nervous system that control specific organs and functions, restoring balance to the body. Pregnancy is a unique time in a woman’s life when she cannot use many medications for her aches and pains. Many are turning to acupressure to treat some of the common ailments associated with pregnancy.

Benefits are visible to the baby and the mother when the mother seeks acupressure treatment during pregnancy. Through bringing balance to the body of the mother, the baby develops better. Normally pregnant women are treated once a month until the final month, when treatment increases to once a week to prepare the body for labor and delivery. Most women report that there is no feeling of pain from the needles.

The treatments do not have any affect on uterine activity, so women do not need to worry about their unborn baby. It is possible to help induce labor in a woman who is overdue using acupressure, however, so make sure you only go to a licensed acupressurist.

Acupressure treatment is particularly effective on treating morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. Women who are in their first trimester and receive acupressure treatments often report an immediate relief of the common nausea that they feel. Acupressure helps relieve other first-trimester maladies, such as fatigue, migraine, and body aches.

During the second trimester many women have serious heartburn problems. Acupressure can help relieve this problem as well. Some women experience elevated blood pressure and swelling during the second trimester. Acupressure can help these symptoms, as long as there is not a serious underlying problem, such as pre-eclampsia.

In the third trimester, as the baby is growing very large, many women suffer from sciatica and other back pain, which can be helped through acupuncture. Sometimes the wrists retain water, causing symptoms of carpel tunnel syndrome, and acupuncture helps this tremendously. Acupressure can help to position the baby correctly as well. The Chinese used acupressure for centuries to turn breeched babies. Acupressure can even be used during labor to help relieve pain and relax tense muscles. If full acupressure treatment is not possible, often the birth partner can perform acupressure, the stimulating of acupressure points through pressure, without the use of needles.

Postpartum is a crucial time to receive acupressure treatment. Acupressure helps the woman’s body to recuperate normally, and some have claimed it helped them with the baby blues. Energy levels after birth can be increased through the use of acupressure treatment. For women who receive a Cesarean section, acupressure can help speed the healing process.
Many are skeptical of the benefits of acupressure treatment, but the fact is, there is little to no risk from the treatments. Trying acupressure will not harm your baby. If you are suffering from some of the common ailments of pregnancy, why not seek treatment? The worst thing that could happen is nothing, and the best thing is relief, making your pregnancy more bearable. Isn’t that worth a try?

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