3 Ways Acupuncture During Pregnancy Can Be Beneficial

Acupuncture during pregnancy is a natural way to address pregnancy side effects that occur throughout the three trimesters.

In the first trimester, nausea, dry retching, vomiting and extreme exhaustion are commonly experienced.
In the second trimester, lower back pain and pelvic pain often occur.
And in the third trimester, many women experience heartburn or discover that their baby is not in the ideal position for natural childbirth.

Acupuncture during pregnancy can help to address all of these issues.

Let’s have a look at just 3 ways acupuncture during pregnancy can be beneficial.

Is Acupuncture During Pregnancy Safe?

This is an important question and a good place to start.

The short answer is yes – when performed by a qualified practitioner.

There are some acupuncture points that are contraindicated during pregnancy, but AHPRA-registered acupuncturists are trained to avoid these points and only use safe techniques.

A systematic review by Park, Sohn, White and Lee (2014) examined 105 studies on acupuncture during pregnancy. These studies came from countries including Sweden, Brazil, the UK, USA, China, Australia, Spain and Korea. They reviewed the use of acupuncture for symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, back and pelvic pain, fetal position, insomnia and emotional issues.

The conclusion?
Adverse effects were mild and transient, with the most common being needling pain and slight bleeding on needle removal. The overall incidence of adverse effects was just 1.9%.

1. Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea, dry retching and vomiting affect approximately 70–80% of pregnancies – typically during the first trimester, though sometimes continuing until delivery.

While the exact cause is unclear, it’s widely believed that hormonal and metabolic factors in the placenta play a role (Lee & Saha, 2011).

A randomised control trial in 2002 at a maternity hospital in Adelaide tested acupuncture on 593 pregnant women (under 14 weeks) who were experiencing nausea and vomiting. Participants were split into four groups:

1. Traditional acupuncture

2. Acupuncture to the point Pericardium 6 (PC6)

3. Sham acupuncture

4. No acupuncture

Treatments occurred weekly for 4 weeks.

• Those in the traditional acupuncture group reported less nausea and dry retching from week 2

• Those receiving PC6 acupuncture saw less nausea from week 2 and less dry retching from week 3

• No significant change in vomiting was found in any group (Smith, Crowther & Beilby, 2002)

A 2014 Cochrane review (Matthews et al.) examined interventions for nausea in early pregnancy including PC6 acupuncture, vitamin B6, ginger, and antiemetics. While the authors called for larger studies, the review did not dismiss acupuncture as ineffective—only that higher-quality evidence is needed to make strong recommendations.

2. Back and Pelvic Pain

Back and pelvic pain are common in pregnancy, caused by both mechanical and hormonal factors. This pain can affect sleep, basic daily function, sexual activity, and work life.

A 2022 BMJ systematic review and meta-analysis examined 10 randomised controlled trials with 1,040 participants from 2000 to 2020 across Sweden, the UK, USA, Spain and Brazil (Yang et al., 2022).

The results?
Acupuncture during pregnancy relieved lower back and pelvic pain, improved quality of life, and had no observed adverse effects on newborns.

3. Fetal Positioning

As pregnancy progresses (32–36 weeks), the fetus typically moves into the head-down (cephalic) position to prepare for delivery. Some babies, however, remain breech (feet down) or in other less optimal positions.

A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis by Liao et al. reviewed 16 studies with 2,555 participants across China, Italy, France, Australia, Switzerland, Croatia and Denmark.

• Evidence for acupuncture alone at point BL67 was inconsistent

• However, moxibustion (a heat-based acupuncture method) showed positive results in correcting breech presentation

• One study reported fewer caesareans and greater cost-effectiveness with moxibustion use

• Another found that a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion was helpful, though the sample size was small

More large-scale studies are needed, but these findings are promising.

Want to Learn More?

If you have any questions or would like further information on how acupuncture during pregnancy might support your unique symptoms, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

References

• Lee, N.M., & Saha, S. (2011). Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, 40(2), 309–334. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889855311000276?via%3Dihub

• Liao, J. et al. (2021). Correction of breech presentation with moxibustion and acupuncture: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare, 9(6), 619. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8224784/

• Matthews, A. et al. (2014). Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007575.pub3

• Park, J. et al. (2014). The safety of acupuncture during pregnancy: A systematic review. Acupuncture in Medicine, 32(3), 257–266. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112450/

• Smith, C., Crowther, C., & Beilby, J. (2002). Acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: A randomized controlled trial. Birth, 29(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1046/j/1523-536x.2002.00149.x

• Yang, J. et al. (2022). Acupuncture for low back and/or pelvic pain during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 12(12). https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/12/e056878