ACUPUNCTURE FOR MORNING SICKNESS - A DRUG FREE ALTERNATIVE
Written by a Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Early pregnancy can be a wonderfully beautiful and equally terrifying and nervous time.
Many choose to keep the first trimester a precious secret to themselves until they are confident and ready to share their news with the world, but this can be hard to maintain if morning sickness has chosen to predominate their waking hours.
Contrary to its name, morning sickness is not confined to the early hours and can occur at any time. Morning sickness is a term used to describe the varying degrees of nausea, loss of appetite and vomiting that can be experienced during pregnancy. This can range in intensity from a slight annoyance through to a constant, debilitating and dangerous disorder (termed hyperemesis gravidarum) that could potentially require hospitalisation and medical treatment.
For most the symptoms are background and disappear around the beginning of the second trimester. However, for the unlucky few it can last practically throughout the entire pregnancy.
What Causes Morning Sickness?
Although the definite cause of morning sickness is unknown, it is thought to be a reaction to the rapidly changing hormone levels (including increased oestrogen, progesterone and hCG levels) that comes along with early pregnancy. Stress, fatigue, certain foods, smells and motions can all have an impact on how intensely morning sickness is experienced.
Can Acupuncture Help?
Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at morning sickness as a disruption of the digestive system due to the increasing demands a developing fetus has on the resources of the body or though averting the regular qi flow. The initial appointment involves an in depth and fully comprehensive intake of health status prior to, as well as during pregnancy, which will assist in our individual diagnosis to determine the best unique treatment for each individual case.
Many have found acupuncture to be helpful in reducing the frequency and intensity of morning sickness symptoms. An Australian based study found that women less than 14 weeks pregnant experienced less nausea when treated with acupuncture weekly for 4 weeks than those who did not receive treatment.[1]
It offers a drug free alternative for mothers-to-be to try who would prefer a more natural route.
Acupressure for Nausea relief- an eye on PC 6
If you are coming in for acupuncture for morning sickness, chances are this acupuncture point will be in your prescription!
Pericardium 6 (inner gate) is arguably the most important point used for nausea. This superstar point can be used for nausea and vomiting of any cause.
This point is located 3 fingers widths from the inner transverse crease of the inner wrist and lies between the 2 tendons felt there. This is a great point to acupressure yourself to get some relief. Just apply gentle but firm pressure to the point with your index or thumb of you opposite hand in a circular motion for a few minutes until you get relief. Acupressure bands or ‘sea-bands’ are a product available to do the job for you![2]
General Lifestyle advice to reduce morning sickness impact:
· Eat small, frequent snacks. This is important to maintain blood sugar levels throughout the day.
· Rest!! There is a tendency in the west to push through when we should be slowing down. Be sure to listen to your body.
· Stay hydrated. Consider electrolytes if you are finding it too difficult to keep fluids down for long.
· Ginger or peppermint tea can be helpful to decrease nausea for certain presentations. Talk to your trusted health care provider for individual advice.
If you would like to book an appointment with a Chinese Medicine Practitioner you can call the clinic on (03) 5429 3610 or book online by clicking the link below.
References: [1] Norheim AJ, Pedersen EJ, Fønnebø V, Berge L. Acupressure treatment of morning sickness in pregnancy. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2001 Mar;19(1):43-7. doi: 10.1080/028134301300034666. PMID: 11303547. Accessed 02/02/2022 from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11303547/ [2] Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J. Acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Birth. 2002 Mar;29(1):1-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1523-536x.2002.00149.x. PMID: 11843784.Accessed 02/02/2022 from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11843784/#:~:text=Conclusion%3A%20Acupuncture%20is%20an%20effective,was%20found%20for%20some%20women [3] Image from acupunctureexplained.com