Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care For Pregnancy and Birth

People who know me, who know what I like and don’t like, know that I don’t always run with the most “popular” beliefs. I tend to run against the grain, test the way things are done and ask multiple questions to see if there are better, less linear ways for events to transpire.

This is no less the case when I look at and discuss the birth process. I am more an advocate of “alternative” therapies than I am of allopathic medicine. This isn’t always the case with every single birth experience I encounter, but it is for the vast majority of them.

Recently I posted about using massage therapy and/or homeopathic remedy in pregnancy and during childbirth. While I have seen these techniques work beautifully for some of the moms I have worked with, I must admit that I have had more experience working with pregnant and labouring women who have had the opportunity to reap the benefits of acupuncture and chiropractic therapies.

I have been lucky enough to be in communication with Dr. Cynthia Chan, the co-owner of King West Chiropractic Health Centre in downtown Toronto, Canada. In the following few paragraphs I will let her outline how her chiropractic and acupuncture therapies can work strongly to the advantage of my client.

In the first segment, Dr. Chan outlines how acupuncture can be used, how it worked well for her and how she used it in conjunction with homeopathic remedies. I have added her comments about the use of chiropractic care immediately following.

Acupuncture & Pregnancy/Labour

Acupuncture can be utilized during pregnancy to reduce nausea and provide pain relief. There are certain acupuncture points to avoid when treating a pregnant patient, specifically Li4 (web of the thumb/index finger), Sp 6 (3 finger widths above the ankle), St. 36 (lateral knee), Du 20 (top of the head) and GB 21 (in the middle of the trapezius muscle). We avoid these points during pregnancy because they have the potential to induce labour. Some of the above listed points can be used effectively when a pregnant patient is beyond 40 weeks gestation and would like to induce labour naturally.

What to expect in during an acupuncture session:
• I advise my patients to have a good breakfast before receiving acupuncture to avoid potential dizziness with low blood sugar.
• The needles are very thin and only penetrate superficial skin and muscular tissue. If you are prone to bruising I usually apply Traumeel cream to the area after removing the needle.
• The needles stay in for 15-20 minutes on average.
• Depending on your comfort level and problem area you will either be lying on your side, on your back or on your stomach (at our clinic we have pregnancy pillows which allow our patients to lie on their stomachs comfortably).
• There may be a gentle buzzing or heat sensation elicited by the acupuncture needle. You may also feel energy (Chi) moving through your body. That is a desirable response called De Chi.

My Birth story:
As mentioned above the same acupuncture points we try to avoid during pregnancy are very effective in trying to induce labour. I gave birth to my son Desmond on September 1, 2008. He was officially 5 days late when I woke up that morning to leaking amniotic fluid. My midwife advised me that if my body didn't go into natural labour within 12-16 hours that I would need to be induced at the hospital. Since my husband and I were planning a home birth and I wanted to avoid medical induction if possible I started treating myself with the acupuncture points Li4 and Sp 6 on both hands and ankles in the early afternoon as well as taking certain homeopathic remedies. By mid-afternoon my water had really "broken" and there was meconium present in the aggressive amniotic flow. We moved quickly to the hospital to assess if the baby was in distress. Fortunately the fetal heart rate was strong however I still needed to be transferred to medical care at that point. They planned on starting the oxytocin drip at 6:30pm. My body began contractions around 6pm, which helped speed the labour process. Desmond was born at 11:32pm after approximately 5.5 hours of labour. I credit both the acupuncture and homeopathy that helped my body start the labour process.

Dr. Chan’s own thoughts about the use of chiropractic care follow:

Chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy are a safe and effective choice of health care. I recommend that my pregnant patients receive chiropractic adjustments for the following reasons:

1. Natural Pain Relief
Your body will undergo many changes during the 40-week gestation period. There are hormonal changes affecting ligaments and subsequently joint movement. If you suffered from joint pain in your neck, back or pelvis before your pregnancy the same areas may feel more sensitive during pregnancy. Chiropractic adjustments can restore normal joint movement, relief muscular discomfort and stimulate the nervous system to heal the area faster.

2. Shorter Labour
Ensuring all the pelvic joints (pubic bone, sacro-iliac joints, lumbo-sacral junction) are moving properly is essential for a smooth labour. It is important that the mother's pelvic outlet is unrestricted and as open as possible to allow smooth passage of the baby's head and body.

3. Reduced chance of Breech Presentation
Uterine constriction, which can lead to a breech presentation, is often caused by restriction in the round ligament and fixations in the sacro-iliac joints. Chiropractic care can address both of these issues thereby preventing a breech presentation. Also the Webster Chiropractic technique is an effective treatment for patients already presenting with a breech position.

There are many different chiropractic techniques. I use a combination of manual diversified and Activator techniques for my pregnant patients. Activator is an excellent low-force alternative to the traditional manual adjustments. To view an Activator adjustment please refer to the home page of my clinic website www.kingwestchiropractic.com.

Let me tell you a little more information about Dr. Cynthia Chan. She graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1997. She then studied acupuncture in Sri Lanka, Beijing and Toronto. She is the co-owner of King West Chiropractic Health Centre in downtown Toronto. For more information regarding Chiropractic & Pregnancy please contact Dr. Chan at 416-815-9595 or info@kingwestchiropractic.com.

Posted by Sam