Why Acupuncture for back pain in pregnancy?
Acupuncture for back pain during pregnancy is safe and effective. It is one of the few modalities 
that can offer fast relief that mom can feel good about. At some point in their pregnancy 66% of women experience back pain. 20% of women will experience pelvic pain during their pregnancy. Women report that the pain interferes with work, daily activities and sleep. Starting in the 3rd Trimester it is unlikely this pain will get better on its own and it can become debilitating.
Back pain in pregnancy is often caused by an increase in hormones like Relaxin and Progesterone. As the muscles and ligaments stretch to make room for baby to grown they can cause pain and inflammation. Back and pelvic pain can begin early in pregnancy but commonly starts around 20 weeks. Mom also begins to experience postural changes around this time which can aggravate pain. We use acupuncture for back pain during pregnancy because it works! Mom often finds the treatments to be so relaxing she falls asleep. Many of our patients report that they can’t wait for their next appointment. Our acupuncturists are trained to rule out more serious conditions such as disc compression or herniation and refer to specialists as needed.
Acupuncture for back pain during pregnancy is useful for:
- Low back pain
- Pubic symphysis pain
- Coccyx pain (pregnancy or postpartum related)
- Mid back/ Thoracic pain
- Neck/ Cervical pain
- Headaches
- Piriformis pain
- Sciatic Pain
- Pinched nerve pain
Acupuncture treatments can begin at anytime in your pregnancy. Often the focus of the treatments change as the pregnancy progresses. We also offer non needle therapies such as cupping, gua sha, moxibustion and cold laser therapies. For acute conditions we recommend 2-3 treatments a week. Acupuncture can also be used in conjunction with massage, chiropractic, physical therapy and exercise.
