CHINESE MEDICINE FOR PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH 

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A History

Oriental medicine is a non-invasive healing modality that facilitates the body's natural ability to heal itself by restoring harmony and balance to the entire individual. Originating in China more than 3,000 years ago, the medicine is one of the most common medical systems in the world, used by one quarter of the world's population. Although it has been practiced in the United States for more than 150 years , many Americans first heard of Eastern medicine in 1972 when New York Times columnist James Reston used acupuncture for pain relief from an emergency appendectomy during a trip to China .

Many of the side effects and shortcomings of modern Western medicine have come to public attention in the last 30 years. Through the use of Chinese Medicine , many of these shortcomings can be avoided. Compared to Western medicine, Chinese medicine intervenes early-when signs of imbalance occur, prior to significant physical damage to the body. 1 Oriental medicine addresses a broad range of conditions that Western medicine finds difficult to treat. Chinese medicine focuses on the well being of the entire person, not simply on physical complaints and symptoms. Its effects are gentle and free of the side effects associated with many pharmaceutical drugs used for the same conditions. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine have been identified as an effective system of healthcare by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization 2 , and is becoming a serious alternative or complement to conventional pain management and medical treatment.

Over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect with 14 major pathways, called meridians. Chinese medical practitioners believe these meridians conduct Qi , or energy, between the surface of the body and internal organs. Qi regulates spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance. When Qi flow is disrupted, through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result.

Acupuncture stimulates the body, releases energy blocks, and reestablishes normal equilibrium. The procedure involves the insertion of hair-thin, disposable metal needles through the skin in points on the body's meridians. Acupuncture needles are solid, usually made of stainless steel and are extremely flexible. The small diameter and contoured shape of the acupuncture needle allows it to be inserted easily and painlessly a few millimeters into the skin. Acupuncture needles may also be stimulated with pressure, heat, friction or electromagnetic impulses to further activate a person's Qi .

Studies have suggested that needles inserted at acupuncture points help release chemical neurotransmitters in the body, including endorphins. Endorphins are the body's own powerful, natural painkillers which relieve pain and bring about a sense of well being.

Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

Oriental medicine is ideal for use during pregnancy and childbirth as it offers a safe, easy to administer, inexpensive treatment for women. Because of the high potential for side effects from modern Western pharmaceuticals and the importance of quality pregnancy health care , many midwives and expectant mothers find it to be an effective alternative. With the avoidance of certain points, an acupuncturist can treat a woman during pregnancy without causing harm to the mother or baby. Because acupuncture can be deeply relaxing, the pregnant woman often falls asleep during a treatment and enjoys a much-needed rest. Massage during pregnancy is also used in Chinese medicine's pregnancy health care to relax the woman and aid balance and flow of Qi in the body.

Stagnation of a woman's Qi and blood typically slows the process of labor and can make it more painful during pregnancy. Acupuncture acts to move more Qi and blood through the body, thereby clearing stagnation and allowing for an easier and shorter labor. Other conditions that acupuncture may help during pregnancy include nausea, heartburn, headaches, constipation, hemorrhoids, and backache. Acupuncture is also effective for turning breech presentations, inducing labor, reducing the discomfort of contractions, and helping to expel the placenta.

While acupuncture can only manipulate Qi that is already available in the body, moxibustion, the burning of the dried herb mugwort on or over various acupuncture points of the body, is believed to add Qi to the body. This makes it the treatment of choice for breech presentation when used during the final month of pregnancy . Since moxibustion does not require needles, midwives can be easily trained in its application. Benefits of moxibustion in pregnancy health care include a decrease in the number of breech births and their complications, as well as potential reductions in the cesarean section rate. 3

Pain medication and epidurals often make a woman drowsy, limit her mobility, slow down labor, lower blood pressure, and depress normal fetal respiration. Acupuncture can be an effective alternative for relieving pain during labor without these side effects. Ear points are often used, allowing the woman more mobility. The effect usually occurs within 10-20 minutes. 4 As the woman becomes more calm and relaxed, she is better able to cope with contractions, though she can still feel them .

Some of the most common postpartum difficulties treatable by Chinese medicine include insomnia, fainting or dizziness, abdominal pain, depression, fatigue, constipation, incontinence, or insufficient lactation.

Chinese medicine is also useful for infants. In Chinese medicine , infants are not regarded as miniature adults. Rather, they are understood as immature both physically and functionally. Most of the common pediatric complaints are due to this immaturity. 5 Chinese medicine holds that because infant's bodies are immature, and therefore inherently weak, they are susceptible to diseases which affect the Lungs, the Spleen (digestion) and the Liver*. This explains why infants often have colds, coughs, colic, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, and stomachaches.

Generally, needles are not used with infants and small children. Instead, a Japanese style of pediatric acupuncture ( shonishin ) which involves scrapers, combs, rollers, and brushes is used to stimulate various acupuncture points and channels at the surface of the child's body. This technique stimulates and balances the child's Qi without actually piercing the skin. Children typically love this treatment since it is soothing and comfortable. 6

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine is one of the most sophisticated herbal medicine systems in the world. Typically, combinations of six to 20 ingredients are used in formulas correlated to each individual's pattern of disharmony. The formulas are crafted together to act synergistically, each ingredient designed to accomplish a part of the overall process of restoring balance. The multi-ingredient formulas may be decocted and drunk as a strong tea, or taken as a tincture or pill several times per day. Chinese herbs can include ingredients from the animal and mineral kingdoms as well as the plant kingdom such as roots, barks, fruits, berries, twigs, stems, leaves and flowers.

There are formulas to treat many of the conditions that might arise during pregnancy , delivery and postpartum. For example, herbal medicine can be used to keep up a woman's strength and vitality during labor. Chinese medicine also has several herbal formulas for vaginal washes or suppositories to tighten and strengthen the vagina postpartum. Because labor, the production of breast milk, and recovery take great amounts of Qi , Chinese herbs may be prescribed to boost or supplement the Qi and blood, helping the woman to recover.

Body massage

Body massage is a valuable adjunct to a midwifery or nursing practice. Regular body massage promotes stress relief, relaxation and maintenance of optimum health. 

Hormonal changes contribute to making pregnancy a very emotional time for women. The physical touch of body massage can be reassuring and calming, giving a pregnant woman the chance to relax and be nurtured. Body massage is particularly effective in the final trimester, especially for the hypertensive woman or one suffering from insomnia.

A number of types of body massage are encompassed within Chinese medicine including Tui Na, Shiatsu, Thai, and Jin Shin. Chinese body massage can influence the entire body, providing mild stimulation to the skin, organs and tissues. Conditions for which body massage during pregnancy may be helpful include nausea, vomiting, hemorrhoids, backache, edema, heartburn, anxiety, insomnia, headaches and tiredness.

Body massage aids circulation, excretion and digestion, and reduces pain perception for pregnant women. And massage during pregnancy increases the flow of blood and Qi to the limbs, which is helpful as the fetus grows larger making proper flow more difficult. It also helps to circulate body fluids in the skin, which can help women experiencing edema. Since body massage moves the Qi and blood, it keeps the woman's skin supple and moist allowing it to stretch more easily. Therefore, massaging the perineum from 37 weeks of pregnancy onwards can help avoid the need for an episiotomy. 8

During labor body massage can reduce the discomfort of contractions and backache. A gentle body massage over the sacral area can be performed by the midwife and carried out in between contractions to minimize pain. Body massage may also be used to induce prolonged pregnancies, as well as help with the expulsion of the placenta. Postpartum, body massage can encourage lactation, relieve engorged breasts and constipation, alleviate depression, and promote general relaxation.

Infants also love and benefit from body massage . Due to their rapidly growing bodies, infants consume large amounts of Qi . Therefore, the organs most responsible for producing Qi are frequently in a deficient state. 9 The conditions that the deficiencies of these organs can produce are often effectively treated with pediatric body massage .

Chinese infant body massage is gentle, safe and without side effects. It is specifically designed to prevent and treat pediatric disorders using a special repertoire of points that are particular to children. 10 Combinations of specific body massage maneuvers are used for rebalancing particular patterns of disharmony. 11 Usually a Chinese pediatric body massage treatment lasts 20-30 minutes and is typically performed with the child clothed or wearing a diaper.

Pediatric body massage is useful in comforting and calming infants and treating colic, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, fever, earache and night crying. Regular daily preventative body massage done by the parents will increase circulation of Qi and blood, strengthen the immune system, and promote better sleeping and eating habits, socialization, coordination and disposition. Acupuncturists can teach mothers how to body massage their babies as a means of strengthening their bond and keeping them calm, happy and healthy.

The Future of Oriental Medicine

As of 1997, more than one million Americans were being treated with acupuncture each year. 12 The World Health Organization has stated that there is sufficient evidence supporting the therapeutic effects of acupuncture for it to be considered an important part of primary health care, and that it should be fully integrated with conventional medicine. 13 Since the 1997 endorsement by the National Institutes of Health, interest in Oriental medicine is greater than ever before. Americans have begun to recognize that Oriental medicine provides great insight into many health problems not dealt with completely or satisfactorily by modern Western medicine.

Although still relatively new to the United States , the fact that Chinese medicine is gentle and free from side effects makes it an excellent choice for keeping new moms and their infants healthy. Midwives can incorporate Chinese medicine into their practice by working in conjunction with a licensed acupuncturist, taking continuing education classes in Oriental Body Therapy, or entering a Master's program in Oriental Medicine that leads to state licensure and national certification as an acupuncturist.

THE MANY BENEFITS OF CHINESE CUPPING

“Acupuncture and cupping, more than half of the ills cured,” is a famous Chinese saying, supporting traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine brings to mind acupuncture and the use of natural herbs as healing remedies. Cupping is a lesser-known treatment that is also part of Oriental medicine, one that can provide an especially pleasant experience. One of the earliest documentations of cupping can be found in the work titled A Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies, which was written by a Taoist herbalist by the name of Ge Hong and which dates all the way back to 300 AD. An even earlier Chinese documentation, three thousand years old, recommended cupping for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. In both Eastern and Western cultures, cupping evolved from shamanistic practices that held the belief that illnesses and infirmities can be sucked out of the body

Cupping was established as an official therapeutic practice in the 1950s across hospitals in China after research conducted by Chinese and former Soviet Union acupuncturists confirmed cupping’s effectiveness. Prior to the 1950s, cupping had also been practiced as an auxiliary method in traditional Chinese surgery. In recent years cupping has been growing in popularity, with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, and athlete Michael Phelps drawing public attention to the traditional Chinese therapy technique.

Though news outlets were quick to criticize celebrities chasing the newest medical therapies and techniques, recent studies have shown cupping’s effectiveness in reducing pain intensity and providing positive short-term benefits.

What Is Chinese Cupping?

Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed on the ski to disperse and break up stagnation and congestion by drawing congested blood, energy or other humors to the surface. In dry cupping, the therapist will simply place the suction cups on the skin. In wet cupping, the practitioner will make a small incision on the skin and then apply the suction cup to draw out small amounts of blood.

There are several ways that a practitioner can create the suction in the cups. One method involves swabbing rubbing alcohol onto the bottom of the cup, then lighting it and putting the cup immediately against the skin. Suction can also be created by placing an inverted cup over a small flame, or by using an alcohol-soaked cotton pad over an insulating material (like leather) to protect the skin, then lighting the pad and placing an empty cup over the flame to extinguish it. Flames are never used near the skin and are not lit throughout the process of cupping, but rather are a means to create the heat that causes the suction within the small cups.

Once the suction has occurred, the cups can be gently moved across the skin (often referred to as "gliding cupping). Medical massage oils are sometimes applied to improve movement of the glass cups along the skin. The suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage - rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward. For most patients, this is a particularly relaxing and relieving sensation. Once suctioned, the cups are generally left in place for about ten minutes while the patient relaxes. This is similar to the practice of Tui Na, a traditional Chinese medicine massage technique that targets acupuncture points as well as painful body parts, and is well known to provide relief through pressure.

The side effects of cupping are fairly mild. Bruising should be expected, but skin should return to looking normal within 10 days. Other potential side effects include mild discomfort, skin infection, or burns. However, a trained health professional will apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage to prevent an infection.

The Philosophy Behind Pain and Cupping

“Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.”

The old Chinese medical maxim holds that pain results from the congestion, stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy, vital fluids, lymph, phlegm, and blood. If pain is the essence of disease, then suffering is a result of obstructed or irregular flow in the body. Chinese cupping is therefore a method of breaking up the blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy.

Cupping Combined With Acupuncture

Generally, cupping is combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and sedate the nervous system (which makes it an excellent treatment for high blood pressure). Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite. For weight loss and cellulite treatments, oil is first applied to the skin, and then the cups are moved up and down the surrounding area.

Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are usually placed. Using these points, cupping can help to align and relax qi, as well as target more specific maladies. By targeting the meridian channels, cupping strives to 'open' these channels - the paths through which life energy flows freely throughout the body, through all tissues and organs, thus providing a smoother and more free-flowing qi (life force). Cupping is one of the best deep-tissue therapies available. It is thought to affect tissues up to four inches deep from the external skin. Toxins can be released, blockages can be cleared, and veins and arteries can be refreshed within these four inches of affected materials. Even hands, wrists, legs, and ankles can be 'cupped,' thus applying the healing to specific organs that correlate with these points.

Other Benefits Of Chinese Cupping

This treatment is also valuable for the lungs, and can clear congestion from a common cold or help to control a person's asthma. In fact, respiratory conditions are one of the most common maladies that cupping is used to relieve.

Cupping’s detoxifying effect on skin and circulatory system is also significant, with a visible improvement in skin color after three to five treatments. Cupping removes toxins and improves blood flow through the veins and arteries. Especially useful for athletes is cupping’s potential to relieve muscle spasms.

Cupping also affects the digestive system. A few benefits include an improved metabolism, relief from constipation, a healthy appetite, and stronger digestion.

A 2015 report published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicinenoted cupping as an effective alternative method of treating acne, pain, facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, and herpes zoster.

As health practitioners and researchers continue to study the benefits of cupping, this traditional alternative care technique will gain further acceptance and wider practice across holistic healthcare centers in the U.S. as an effective treatment for a wide variety of ailments.

This article was originally on the following website:  https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2014/09/20/many-benefits-chinese-cupping

The author was Kathleen Rushall

Sources:

1. Dharmananda, Subhuti
2. History of Chinese Cupping
3. Joswick, Diane, Cupping: How Gwyneth Paltrow Got Her Spots, Acufinder.com.

Acupuncture: What is It and What Can You Expect?

Acupuncture has been used for over 2500 years. According to Chinese medicine, the energy called Qi (pronounced chee) flows through 12 meridians of the body. When Qi flows uninterrupted, a person is healthy. When Qi is blocked, it can lead to illness and pain.

Using ultra-thin, stainless steel, sterilized needles inserted just beneath the skin to stimulate the meridian system, the channels are unblocked, restoring balance and the healthy flow of Qi. Acupuncture focuses on the whole person, rather than a single isolated disease, and strives to create an optimum state of health.

Western medicine has found that acupuncture activates the central nerve system in the brain, stimulating endorphins and creating an analgesic effect. It also stimulates the body's immune system, advancing self-healing.

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Acupuncture FAQs

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What can I expect on my first visit?

The first visit will be an hour and a half. After Linda gathers a history of your conditions and pains - from general complaints and sleeping patterns to mental health - she will assess your pulse on both wrists, observe your complexion and look at your tongue.

She will then ask you to lay down. After the needles have been placed (between 3 to 15), she will lead you in a guided meditation to relax for 20-40 minutes.

Other therapies might be used, too, including cupping, electro-acupuncture and herbal therapy.

She may ask you to return in a few days. Most patients start to see improvements by the second visit. Some chronic issues may take longer than three sessions.

Does it hurt?

You might feel two sensations, the needle entering the skin which may feel like nothing at all or something akin to an insect bite. Then a second sensation is the arrival of energy to the needle site which can feel warm or tingling. Each person may feel something different.

What will I feel during the meditation part?

Many people feel a heaviness and a deep sense of relaxation.

Is it dangerous?

Acupuncture is a very low-risk treatment. It is often helpful for those who do not respond well to Western medicine.

How many sessions will I need?

It depends. The average is between 3-10 sessions to see benefits and improvements.

How will I feel afterward?

Many attest to feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and more relaxed. Not only do people experience a relief to aches and pains, but they also feel a sense of rejuvenation in their spirit and general mental well-being.

Rejuvenate Your Body and Spirit

Are you suffering from pain? Has traditional Western medicine failed to alleviate your symptoms or chronic condition? Are you looking for an alternative to surgery?

Improve your quality of life with the healing properties of acupuncture administered by Joyce Cai, experienced licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and former nurse practitioner.

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Acupuncture works with the whole body, balancing yin and yang energy. This low-risk, natural treatment:

• Improves circulation
• Releases endorphins to control pain
• Allows the body to heal itself more quickly and more completely

Learn more about acupuncture here.

Commonly treated conditions with profound results:

Stress	Digestive	Respiratory	Pain	Women's Health
Depression	Nausea	Asthma	Joint Pain	Infertility
Anxiety	Vomiting	Sore Throat	Bone Pain	PMS
Insomnia	GERDs	Cold/Flu	Nerve Pain	Menstrual Disorders
Smoking	Gastritis	Headaches	Dental Pain	Menopause
Addictions	Diarrhea	Pneumonia	Cancer Pain	UTI's
Dizziness	Constipation	Tonsillitis	Sciatica	Incontinence
Sea Sickness	IBS	Sinusitis	Arthritis
Weight Loss	Colitis	Rhinitis	Tennis Elbow	Men's Health
Fatigue	Crohn's Disease	Allergies	Headaches	Erectile Dysfunction
		Ear Infections	TMJ	Prostate (BPH)
			Chronic Fatigue
			Fibromyalgia
			Chronic Pain