Have you ever thought about trying acupuncture?
In recent years, aspects of traditional Chinese medicine have begun to gain attention in the Western world, recognized for their ability to regulate hormonal fluctuations, manage stress, and improve blood flow to the reproductive organs.
Of course, being pricked with lots of tiny needles can be daunting for even the strongest of people, and you’re likely to have a lot of questions before diving headfirst into the practice.
Don’t worry, we sat down with Sarah Battenshaw, a certified acupuncturist from Ask the Midwife and member of the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA), to discuss all the questions you might have before booking your first treatment.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a holistic medicine. Physically, needles are inserted into specific points on the body to produce certain therapeutic effects. Acupuncture dates back to ancient China 3,000 years ago, and many of today’s treatments are based on that knowledge.
It’s about balancing yin and yang and energy – chi is the life force, so keeping it moving freely within the body.
Patients often ask me what that actually means and I always give them two options. The traditional view is that it balances yin and yang and keeps the energy blood moving freely through the body. These different pathways are called meridians. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, meridians are the pathways through which chi, or life energy, flows. If you prefer a more Western approach, the closest approximation is the central nervous system.
What are the benefits of acupuncture?
The main ones are mood related – stress, anxiety, depression, PMS, etc. Next would probably be general pain – endometritis, period pain, shoulder injuries, any kind of pain. Acupuncture helps regulate the body – regulating your period, regulating your digestion, regulating your sleep, etc. So there are three groups: mood, regulation and pain.
My clinic, Ask The Midwife, specialises in pregnancy and fertility treatments. I also provide acupuncture for induction of labour, so obviously I don’t use the acupressure points used for induction during pregnancy. In most cases, I don’t use needles in certain areas during pregnancy, such as on the stomach or lower back. There are some acupressure points that are traditionally off limits, but I don’t use them.
How can acupuncture be used during pregnancy?
Here at Ask the Midwife, I underwent acupuncture on a number of occasions before giving birth – it’s a very thoroughly researched treatment. There’s a treatment called cervical ripening, which can be done once or twice a week from 36 weeks pregnant. This basically softens and dilates the cervix in preparation for birth, preparing it so that labour starts on time. Research has shown that this can reduce the need for induction of labour, emergency C-sections and epidurals.
There are pressure points on my feet that allow me to feel what stage my cervix is at. When my patients are close to their due date, they ask me, “Do you think I’ll be born on time?” and I can answer that question because I have those pressure points. When my cervix softens, the pressure points on my feet should feel full of water, but it’s very strange. Sometimes I feel like my leg muscles are stiff and I’m going to go past my due date.
What are some misconceptions about acupuncture?
Maybe some people think this is a one-time treatment, but that’s a problem, because each treatment actually builds on the previous one, so this is something you have to commit to. A lot of people get treatment and then nothing much happens, so they think it didn’t work.
The other thing is, there are people who actually think that it’s not regulated at this point. I’ve had people ask me if I really use disposable needles. They thought maybe I was cleaning the needles in the back, which is definitely not okay. So I think people have this image of it being kind of dirty or like a back alley thing. But it’s not. Now it’s really sterile and clean and studied.
How often should I receive acupuncture treatment?
I never want people to become dependent on acupuncture. The goal is usually to get to the point where they come in for maintenance treatments monthly or every other month just to boost their immunity. We balance every little thing, but usually, in the beginning, I recommend a minimum of six weeks of treatment in a row, especially if you’re having fertility or period issues, so that we can see all phases of the cycle. Then we reassess and the patient starts out with intervals of every two weeks, three weeks, and then monthly.
I often see people stop too early, especially with muscular training. They think they’re 99% recovered and don’t need to come back, but then I see them again three weeks later and they say, ‘I shouldn’t have stopped, I took a few steps back.’ It’s preventative, so you always need to do a little more than you think you should. I communicate a lot with people and tell them what I think they need.
Acupuncture treatments at Ask the Midwife are available on Thursdays from 12pm to 6pm and can be booked directly through their website. here.
