Acupuncture for morning sickness

C9 Chinese obstetrics text, C19 re-edition, Woodblock print

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy – the facts

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is believed to occur in about half of all pregnancies, usually between the sixth and the sixteenth weeks and is at its most intense at eight to twelve weeks.

Although it is commonly called morning sickness, nausea and vomiting in pregnancy can happen at any time of the day or night. The degree to which women experience morning sickness hugely varies: a woman can have nausea only or accompanied by vomiting. The intensity or the time of the day it is felt can also vary. But it can also be constant, including on waking at night.

 Although women are often eating less and possibly lose weight while experiencing nausea and vomiting early in pregnancy, the real concern is the possibility that excessive vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum in scientific terms) can lead to dehydration and the woman may then require hospitalisation to receive intravenous fluids. Doctors or midwives who suspect dehydration in pregnant women often give them blood tests to check their electrolyte levels or urine testing sticks to measure their ketone levesl.

 The Causes

There are many theories as to why nausea happens in pregnancy:

Hormonal reasons  - HCG the hormone used as an indicator in pregnancy test and rising oestrogen levels are cited as the main culprit

Brain stem – this part of the brain is believed to be the control centre of nausea and vomiting. The way it responds to the hormones produced in pregnancy might influence the level of nausea and vomiting a woman experiences

Stress levels and fatigue – they are believed to increase the risks of developing morning sickness

 Acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy

Women’s experiences of morning sickness varies as much as their experience of labour: some are bedridden and might need hospitalisation, some damage blood vessels in their throat from vomiting so often and violently, some are not vomiting but feel that if they could, it might help them. Finally some carry on with their normal daily routine whilst feeling absolutely awful.  There is no ‘normal’ and it certainly doesn’t support the myth that suggests that morning sickness is both mild and a normal part of pregnancy.

 Whatever the symptoms, acupuncture offers a real, safe, natural alternative to simply putting up with the nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

 A traditional Chinese medicine viewpoint – Pattern differentiation and treatment

 From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective pregnancy brings up changes to the energetic balance of the body but these changes are not considered pathological developments.  It is therefore considered normal to see the following

 ·      Increase in blood

·      Increased heat

·      Increased dampness

·      Increased Liver energy

·      Decreased kidney energy

 (note that blood, heat, dampness, Liver and Kidney energy here are Chinese Medicine terms and concepts)

 However, because of constitution or lifestyle, the balance can be sometimes disrupted by one of the elements above. Too much heat or dampness, too much Liver energy or not enough Kidney energy for example can evolve in patterns of disharmony.

 In Chinese medicine each pattern of disharmony presents with specific symptoms. As mentioned before in the case of nausea and vomiting, a trained and skilled Chinese medicine acupuncture practitioner will see a different pattern in a patient who vomits her food soon after eating it, with a persistent thirst, a red tongue and a rapid pulse, and a patient who feels nauseous with no vomiting but with epigastric distension and fullness and who presents with extreme tiredness of the arms and legs, lethargy, weak voice, spontaneous seating, a pale tongue and a weak pulse.

 The acupuncturist is able to identify the causes of the imbalance and chooses the appropriate treatment (a combination of acupuncture points) tailored to address the particular symptoms of the patient but also the causes of her imbalance.

 The number of needles used in a single treatment is limited to 6 to 8 to prevent excessive stimulation and they are usually retained between 15 and 20 minutes

 Although not all women will flourish following treatment, the majority will see a dramatic improvement that put them back in control.  It is worth warning the patient that no matter how good she feels after the treatment, she needs to be aware of her body’s limit, stick to appropriate food, not skipping regular meals or snacks, or not staying up late for example.

 Patient advice

An acupuncture practitioner should also be able to help women incorporate life-style changes in their routine, rest and hydration being paramount. Again not everything will work on everyone but according to the specific symptoms each woman presents, a tailored list of food, snacks and beverages can be introduced in the diet to relieve the symptoms.

 Safety and effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in early pregnancy

Smith et al. (2002) published two articles from their research on nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy.  The study involving 596 women who were followed through their pregnancy until childbirth to record any adverse outcomes, confirmed the benefits of acupuncture and concluded that acupuncture was a safe and effective treatment for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy.

 So if you’re pregnant and feel that your quality of life is impacted by morning sickness, it is worth considering acupuncture as a drug-free option to relieve your symptoms.

 For more information or to book an appointment, please contact sophie at sophie@silverwoodacupuncture.co.uk  

 References

Betts D (2006). The essential guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Smith C, Crwother C, Beilby J (2002). ‘Acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomised trial”. Birth. 29(1):1-9

 Smith C, Crwother C, Beilby J (2002).  ‘Pregnancy outcome following women’s participation in a randomised controlled trial of acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.” Complement Ther Med. 10(2):78-83

Acupuncture and Insomnia

Zhuangzhi, Butterfly dream 

If you are wide awake at 3'oclock in the morning and all you want to do is sleep - you tried fluffing your pillows, you sprayed lavender on you wrist, you tried sleeping tablets and even Andy Puddicomb's voice doesn't even make you blink - acupuncture might just be the thing that will help you completely relax and finally get the restorative night's sleep you need. Imagine not crawling to work like a zombie, feeling sharp and creative, thinking better, listening better and even managing a smile?

What is insomnia?

 If you suffer from insomnia, you may have difficulty in falling asleep or getting back to sleep when you wake up in the night. It may mean that you wake up very early in the morning. You may also find that sleeping does not refresh you, and that you feel constantly tired. You may experience disturbed or light sleep, or wake up and fall back to sleep several times in a night.

The effect of Insomnia on your health

 Lack of sleep has a whole list of effects on your physical and mental health. It

·       Reduces your cognitive faculties: Sleep plays a critical role in thinking, learning and remembering. Lack of sleep can impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.

·       Kills your sex drive

·       Can make you gain weight

·       Ages your skin

·       Can lead to serious physical health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure stroke, diabetes

·       Is depressing: In my practice, I see many people with various levels of anxiety and I can see first hand how mental health problems can be both a reason and a consequence of insomnia.

 Stress and anxiety can cause you to have thoughts racing through your mind, making it difficult for you to sleep. If you have sleep problems over a long period of time, you may also develop anxiety or phobias about going to sleep and a vicious circle has started.

With Depression you might find it very difficult to face your day-to-day life, and you may find yourself sleeping more in order to avoid them – either sleeping late in the morning or a lot during the day. Oversleeping can cause fatigue and lethargy, but make it also difficult to sleep well at night. If you experience difficult or troubling thoughts as part of depression, this can also cause insomnia. You may find it harder to fall asleep, or you may wake early and be unable to get back to sleep.

Over a long period of time, a severe sleep problem could lead to a mental health problem, or may make an existing mental health problem worse because tiredness reduces your ability to deal with difficult situations as well as the challenges of day-to-day life and may lower your self-esteem, make it harder to cope. You may feel lonely because you’re too tired carrying out your usual social activities, leading you to become socially isolated. You may also experience low mood or negative thoughts

So why not give acupuncture a try?

With acupuncture, the focus is on the individual, not the illness. The underlying principle of this highly individualised treatment is that imbalance, illness and pain occur when the body's qi, or vital energy, cannot flow freely.

 During your first acupuncture session, the causes of your insomnia are the first things I’ll try to uncover. Acupuncturists look at a patient holistically and I’ll spend the first 30 min of the consultation finding out about your sleep routine, your sleep environment, your sleep patterns, your eating habits, your work and family life, your thoughts and level of stress, worry and anxiety, mental health issues, infection, injury, pain or physical illness that might be causing your sleeping problem.  Our initial conversation allows me to organise your symptoms into a coherent Chinese medical diagnosis and devise a treatment plan.

Your treatment

 Each treatment involves inserting ultra-fine sterile needles into specific acupuncture points. I use a combination of body acupuncture and auriculo (ear) acupuncture points to re-establish the free flow of qi, release blockage, restore balance between your yang and yin energies and trigger your body's natural healing response. In order to restore balance I address your insomnia as well as its causes and the effects it has on you.

Along with your acupuncture treatment you might need to make changes in your lifestyle to support your return to good sleep and good health in general. Different things work for different individuals so during sessions we also discuss a wide range of routines, relaxation techniques, changes in diet and physical activities that can work for you and can ultimately make you feel better if you’re able to implement the appropriate changes. 

 If you are interested in trying acupuncture and how it may benefit you, please book in for an appointment or email me with any questions, sophie@silverwoodacupuncture.co.uk

Migraine Awareness Week 2016

This week, 4th to 10th September, is Migraine Awareness Week. 

*In the UK 1 in 7 people at any one time experience a migraine attack.

A migraine is a complex neurological condition, which can affect the whole body and can result in many symptoms, sometimes without a headache at all. Migraines can be easily overlooked or mistaken for other conditions and can affect people in many different ways.

A migraine can involve recurrent attacks that can last up to three days and sufferers may also experience double vision, nausea and vomiting. Migraines are often thought to be caused by emotional strain, stress, hormonal imbalances, and lack of food and/or sleep or by a reaction to some foods or medications.

Research has shown that traditional acupuncture can be very beneficial in the treatment of migraines as it tends to lessen the frequency and severity of attacks. In fact, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends acupuncture for headaches and migraines (http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Migraine/Pages/Treatment.aspx)

If you want to know more about how acupuncture works and how it can help you, please contact me at sophie@silverwoodacupuncture.co.uk or give me a call on 07809828402. 

*www.migraine.org.uk