Obstetric acupuncture

Effective acupuncture techniques to enhance clinical practice and eliminate the need for treatment during labour.

Obstetric acupuncture offers practitioners the opportunity to safely and effectively treat during pregnancy, in some instances with greater efficacy than the current conventional western medical care available.

This can be seen through research published in respected medical journals:
• Acupuncture recommended as superior to physiotherapy for pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy with acupuncture the treatment of choice for patients with symphysis pubis and sacroiliac pain (Elden et al BMJ 2005).
• Moxibustion treatment at 34 weeks increased cephalic presentation at 36 weeks and at delivery compared to women offered external cephalic version (ECV) at 36 weeks (Cardini et al JAMA 1998).
• Acupuncture differential diagnosis was more effective in treating pregnancy nausea than a single point treatment (PC 6), placebo or no treatment (Smith et al Birth 2002).

In clinical practice where the treatment results can be objectively observed through western medical parameters such as:
• Elevated blood pressure readings and liver enzyme blood tests reducing in women diagnosed with early pre eclampsia.
• Haemoglobin and ferritin blood test levels showing significant rises that are greater than expected and cannot be attributed to iron therapy alone.
• Posterior babies turning anterior at 38 weeks or during labour following treatment.

Pre birth acupuncture can be offered once a week from 36 weeks. Data collected from my clinical practice shows that 51 % of pregnant women gave prebirth as their primary reason for seeking acupuncture treatment. Although these women considered themselves healthy, midwifery recommendation prompted them to seek treatment, with feedback that this treatment reduced labour times and medical intervention, including medical induction and caesarean section. (Betts et al Medical Acupuncture 2006)

Prebirth treatment works on several different levels, depending on the woman’s presentation; on a physical level, to aid in ripening the cervix, move the baby into an anterior position and deal with any ongoing pain such as back pain or problems such as insomnia. It can also help women prepare for birth through dealing with emotional issues, and offering dietary advice.
As women using acupressure during labour had similar feedback to those using acupuncture for pain relief (86% reporting a reduction in the intensity of contraction and increased feelings of being in control and satisfied with their birth experience), prebirth treatment with support people using acupressure during labour reduces the need for practitioners to be on call to attend births themselves

Acupuncture is an ideal treatment to offer to women during pregnancy and from my perspective is only limited by reluctance from acupuncture practitioners to become involved in this area. It is my hope that these workshops will dispel this reluctance and prompt acupuncturists to offer this as a safe effective treatment for women during pregnancy and childbirth

Day one of this workshop explores the medical research around the safety and effectiveness of using obstetric acupuncture; while day two focus on practical clinical treatments including the use of the Chong Mai in pregnancy nausea and the debate over using needles, moxibustion or both in the treatment of breech presentation.

For further details about myself and my text book The essential guide to acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth visit http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz

For further details of the workshops:
San Diageo 13th /14th October 2007 contact msklar@reproductivewellness.com
Chicago 20th /21st October 2007 please visit http://www.prodseminars.com
Toronto 1st/ 2nd march 2008 please visit http://www.prodseminars.com
Vancouver 8th / 9th March 2008 please visit http://www.prodseminars.com
References
Betts D Lenox S ( 2006) Acupuncture For Prebirth Treatment: An Observational Study of its use in Midwifery practice. Medical Acupuncture. Vo 17 No 3
Elden H, (2005) Ladfors l, Fagevik Olsen M, Ostaard H, Hagberg H.
“Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard
treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised single
blind controlled trail”. British Medical Journal;330(7494):761.
Cardini F, (2005)Lombardo P, Regalia AL, Regaldo G, Zanini A, Negri MG,
Panepuccia L, Todros T. “A randomised controlled trial of
moxibustion for breech presentation”. BJOG. 112(6):743-7
Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J. (2002). “Acupuncture to treat nausea and
vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomized trial”. Birth. 29(1):1-9.

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