Back Pain Can Be Reduced For Pregnant Women By… Acupuncture

New studies indicate a specialized acupuncture method may help in soothing lower back pain in pregnant women.

For all practical purposes, the majority of women who had acupuncture needles placed and taped down at three specific acupuncture points in their ears for no less than one week basically affirmed a significant reduction in lower back pain and pelvic discomfort; versus women patients in a control group and placebo acupuncture group who didn't get needles at all or were getting needles in the improper acupuncture points.

It is said that pregnant women regularly experience pain in the lower back and pelvis pain which might lead to chronic lower back pain sooner or later.

Fundamentally, ear acupuncture may offer women patients a natural method to help in mitigating their lower back pain.

Here is how the study was rendered:

Researchers took a random sample of 155 women patients in the 25th to 38th week of pregnancy to test. More or less so they were divided into a control group, those that were going to obtain needles in the true acupuncture points, and those that were going to get needles in the incorrect acupuncture points that would not theoretically mitigate lower back pain or pelvic area pain.

In addition, all women back pain sufferers were still definitely given instructions to continue normal pregnancy self-care, such as rest, aspirin as needed, and utilizing heating pads whenever they desired it.

All of the 155 women back pain sufferers who were able to finish the whole two-week study reported some decrease in the amount of pain and some of their ability to move was recovered.

The research studies show that the difference between the control group and “fake” acupuncture group wasn't incredibly significant according to the statistics.

There was a 30 percent or greater relief in the degree of back and pelvic pain that was reported by forty-seven (47) % of women in the control group, 59 % of women in the placebo acupuncture acupuncture group, and 81 percent of women in the real acupuncture group.

Also, there was nine (9) percent of the control group that were pain-free after just a week of acupuncture, compared to to 22 percent in the placebo acupuncture group and thirty-seven (37) % of women back pain sufferers in the real acupuncture group.

In women patients who had real acupuncture versus those who received the placebo acupuncture or received no acupuncture at all there were very much} major improvements in function according to the numbers for those women.

Nonetheless, the pain relief wasn’t permanent for some women. Sadly, a week after the end of acupuncture research study, 68 % of those who received the real acupuncture were feeling a 30 percent or greater relief in pain compared to the start of acupuncture treatment, even though 32 % in the “fake” acupuncture group and 18 percent of the control group retained this level of reduction in their back pain.

For that reason, it was noted in the study that there was no large level of difference in the groups in the percentage remaining free of back pain two weeks into the study.

There was merely one side-effect and it was temporary tenderness in the ear area, reported by less than 3-5 % of the women who received acupuncture whether it was in the real acupuncture group or the “fake” acupuncture group total.

Bear in mind that the acupuncture process discussed is essentially inexpensive at an expense of $15 to $25 for a 100 count pack of needles. It takes about less than 5 minutes for the needles to be inserted if someone that is trained is doing it.

This is a reasonably new discovery and future studies will be required to conclude if results might be experienced more permanently with extended acupuncture greater than the 2 week period and if there are any effects on pregnancy outcomes.

SOURCE:
1. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, September 2009.
2. © Thomson Reuters 2009.