Are you tempted to induce your labor using maternity acupressure? But does acupressure induce labor? Lets go through some of the evidence available and drill down to the basic principles of acupressure. After all you are not going to try something that you really don't know very much about.
Read a review of Easier, Shorter and Safer Birth using Maternity Acupressure by Dr. Lena Leno.
Acupressure originates from ancient Chinese medical texts and the idea behind it is similar to that of acupuncture, without the needles of course, which already makes it seem much more appealing.
How does it work? Like acupuncture, acupressure stimulates certain points in the body which activate the nervous system. In modern medicine we refer to these points as nerve bundles which is literally a meeting point of nerves. These points are quite sensitive to touch and can easily be identified.
For example, place your finger on your collarbone closest to your throat (the highest point of the collarbone). Move your finger one inch laterally (towards your shoulder) and come upwards about 1cm onto the soft spot on your neck just on top of your collarbone and to the outside of it. Press down very gently or roll your finger along tendons below the skin. You should be able to feel how tender it is and may even experience some tingling down your arm. This point acts to send nerve impulses down the arm and back behind your shoulders. It can be used to relieve pain and tension.
Learn the simple technique and find your acupressure points.
The nerve impulses that are sent out by these bundles of nerves act as messengers to that area in your body. Maternity acupressure for labor uses specific points to send impulses that produce hormones which act in turn to induce labor. Morning sickness and nausea associated with pregnancy canbe relieved by simply triggering an acupressure point that re balances the parasympathetic system responsible for the feeling of nausea.
So, in theory acupressure for labor does have a very scientific basis that can be explained using modern medical science and like acupuncture has seen increasing popularity in the West.
Is there any scientific proof?
In 2005 the Complementary Therapy and Medicine Journal published a study on women using acupressure for inducing labor. They found that a significant number of women using acupressure went into labor in a shorter space of time and with more frequent and efficient contractions.
Not only does acupressure assist in inducing labor, it also plays a major role in pain relief during labor. Unlike pain relief medications such as epidurals, acupressure does not slow down the labor process hence reducing the risk of complications to the baby.
In 2004, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study showng that stimulation of one single pressure point can reduce labor pain significantly. The results show that 93 percent of women go into labor in 48 hours whilst some only take 25 minutes but more importantly acupressure has been shown to shorten the labor process by more than 2 hours.
Read a review of Easier, Shorter and Safer Birth using Maternity Acupressure by Dr. Lena Leno.
To many pregnant and expecting mothers this method is heaven sent! In addition to its effectiveness, maternity acupressure is simple and safe to use.
Learn the simple technique and find your acupressure points.
Read a review of Easier, Shorter and Safer Birth using Maternity Acupressure by Dr. Lena Leno.
Acupressure originates from ancient Chinese medical texts and the idea behind it is similar to that of acupuncture, without the needles of course, which already makes it seem much more appealing.
How does it work? Like acupuncture, acupressure stimulates certain points in the body which activate the nervous system. In modern medicine we refer to these points as nerve bundles which is literally a meeting point of nerves. These points are quite sensitive to touch and can easily be identified.
For example, place your finger on your collarbone closest to your throat (the highest point of the collarbone). Move your finger one inch laterally (towards your shoulder) and come upwards about 1cm onto the soft spot on your neck just on top of your collarbone and to the outside of it. Press down very gently or roll your finger along tendons below the skin. You should be able to feel how tender it is and may even experience some tingling down your arm. This point acts to send nerve impulses down the arm and back behind your shoulders. It can be used to relieve pain and tension.
Learn the simple technique and find your acupressure points.
The nerve impulses that are sent out by these bundles of nerves act as messengers to that area in your body. Maternity acupressure for labor uses specific points to send impulses that produce hormones which act in turn to induce labor. Morning sickness and nausea associated with pregnancy canbe relieved by simply triggering an acupressure point that re balances the parasympathetic system responsible for the feeling of nausea.
So, in theory acupressure for labor does have a very scientific basis that can be explained using modern medical science and like acupuncture has seen increasing popularity in the West.
Is there any scientific proof?
In 2005 the Complementary Therapy and Medicine Journal published a study on women using acupressure for inducing labor. They found that a significant number of women using acupressure went into labor in a shorter space of time and with more frequent and efficient contractions.
Not only does acupressure assist in inducing labor, it also plays a major role in pain relief during labor. Unlike pain relief medications such as epidurals, acupressure does not slow down the labor process hence reducing the risk of complications to the baby.
In 2004, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study showng that stimulation of one single pressure point can reduce labor pain significantly. The results show that 93 percent of women go into labor in 48 hours whilst some only take 25 minutes but more importantly acupressure has been shown to shorten the labor process by more than 2 hours.
Read a review of Easier, Shorter and Safer Birth using Maternity Acupressure by Dr. Lena Leno.
To many pregnant and expecting mothers this method is heaven sent! In addition to its effectiveness, maternity acupressure is simple and safe to use.
Learn the simple technique and find your acupressure points.