Would Acupuncture help my symptoms during pregnancy?
Under normal circumstances, pregnancy will not cause a healthy woman any problems. However, if a woman has a pre-existing tendency to blood/yin deficiency or to a kidney deficiency, then problems may develop during pregnancy because such deficiency will be accentuated.
There are many symptoms during the pregnancy mainly due to deficiency of the qi and blood and Kidney, stagnation of Qi, and spleen deficiency and phlegm, such as: Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition similar to a severe form of morning sickness; bleeding or spotting in the early months of pregnancy; exhaustion, migraine headaches, heartburn and many other symptoms associated with pregnancy; emotions; lower back pain, hip pain and leg pain during the pregnancy; and many others.
The Acupuncture treatment will focus on the following main principles during the pregnancy: nourishing blood and tonify the kidneys; Move the Qi and eliminate stagnation; tonify the spleen and resolve phlegm.
Well-trained professional acupuncturists should check your medical history, conditions and Pulse and Tongue carefully during the consultation. The points they are selecting are also important, since there are certain acupuncture points are forbidden in pregnancy. In addition to these, points below the umbilicus should not be used at any time during the pregnancy, while points above the umbilicus may be used during the first trimester but not after that.
Pregnant women should take particular care with their lifestyle. She should avoid overwork in the sense of working long hours without rest, rest enough, avoid physical over-excretion and lifting or jumping, avoid high-altitude places and have enough sleep. She should avoid too tight clothing. She should avoid emotional stress, worry and anger. She should eat nourishing but easily digestible food; avoid too hot, spicy, salty, greasy food.