Research: Preconception, pregnancy and childbirth

Back Pain, Pelivic Pain and Sciatica (Acupuncture)

Acupuncture - safe, effective for late pregnancy back pain

The researchers designed the study to evaluate the analgesic effect and possible adverse effects of acupuncture for pelvic and low-back pain during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Following individual informed consent, 72 pregnant women reporting pelvic or low-back pain were randomized during pregnancy weeks 24-37 to an acupuncture group (n = 37) or to a control group (n = 35) at three maternity wards in southern Sweden. Traditional acupuncture points and local tender points (TP) were chosen according to individual pain patterns and stimulated once or twice a week until delivery or complete recovery in acupuncture patients. Control patients were given no sham stimulation. Throughout the study period each patient made weekly visual analog scale (VAS) evaluations of maximal and minimal pain intensity as well as three-point assessments of pain intensity during various activities.

During the study period, VAS scores of pain intensity decreased over time in 60% of patients in the acupuncture group and in 14% of those in the control group. At the end of the study period, 43% of the acupuncture patients were less bothered than initially by pain during activity compared with 9% of control patients. No serious adverse effects of acupuncture were found in the patients, and there were no adverse effects at all in the infants.

Acupuncture relieves low-back and pelvic pain without serious adverse effects in late pregnancy.
Kvorning N, et al. Acupuncture relieves pelvic and low-back pain in late pregnancy. Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica 83(3):246-50.

Acupuncture for pelvic and back pain in pregnancy: a systematic review

The objective of THE study was to review the effectiveness of needle acupuncture in treating the common and disabling problem of pelvic and back pain in pregnancy. Two small trials on mixed pelvic/back pain and 1 large high-quality trial on pelvic pain met the inclusion criteria. Acupuncture, as an adjunct to standard treatment, was superior to standard treatment alone and physiotherapy in relieving mixed pelvic/back pain.

Women with well-defined pelvic pain had greater relief of pain with a combination of acupuncture and standard treatment, compared to standard treatment alone or stabilizing exercises and standard treatment. We used a narrative synthesis due to significant clinical heterogeneity between trials. Few and minor adverse events were reported. We conclude that limited evidence supports acupuncture use in treating pregnancy-related pelvic and back pain. Additional high-quality trials are needed to test the existing promising evidence for this relatively safe and popular complementary therapy.

Carolyn C. (Chinese Medicine/Human Biology), Eric Manheimer, Marie V. Pirotta and Adrian R. White. Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; cPeninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.

Acupuncture for pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain

A recent randomized, single blind and controlled study was conducted in order to compare the effects of standard treatment, standard treatment with acupuncture, and standard treatment with stabilizing exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. 386 pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain were randomly assigned to three groups: for six weeks with standard treatment (n=130), standard treatment plus acupuncture (n= 125), or standard treatment plus stabilizing exercises (n= 131). A visual analogue scale was used to measure the pain and an independent examiner did an assessment of the severity of the pain before and after treatment.

After treatment, the stabilizing exercise group had less pain than the standard group in the morning and in the evening. The acupuncture group also had less pain than the standard treatment group in the morning and in the evening. However, the acupuncture group had less pain in the evening than the stabilizing exercise group. Attenuation of pelvic girdle pain as assessed by the independent examiner was greatest in the acupuncture group.

The study concluded that acupuncture and stabilizing exercises were effective complements to standard treatment for the management of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Also, acupuncture was superior to stabilizing exercises in this study.

Elden H, Ladfors L, et al. Perinatal Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for the Health of Women and Children, Sahlgrenska Academy, East Hospital, 41685 Gothenburg, Sweden.

Back Pain, Pelivic Pain and Sciatica (Herbs)

Nausea and Vomiting (Acupuncture)

Nausea and Vomiting (Herbs)

Heartburn (Acupuncture)

Heartburn (Herbs)

Headaches & Migraines (Acupuncture)

Headaches & Migraines (Herbs)

Constipation & Dental Pain (Acupuncture)

Constipation & Dental Pain (Herbs)

Varicose Veins (Acupuncture)

Varicose Veins (Herbs)

Haemorrhoids (Acupuncture)

Haemorrhoids (Herbs)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Acupuncture)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Herbs)

Oedema (Acupuncture)

Oedema (Herbs)

Anxiety (Acupuncture)

Anxiety (Herbs)

Breech Presentation (Acupuncture)

Breech Presentation (Herbs)

Labour (Acupuncture)

Labour (Herbs)

Coming soon...