Acupuncture May Be a Safe Alternative for Inducing Labor

Originating in China, the practice of acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. This treatment involves inserting extremely thin needles into the skin at strategic points of the body. Based on traditional Chinese theory, acupuncture was designed to balance an individual's life force or energy flow (called chi). In the United States, acupuncture has traditionally been considered an alternative therapy, but its popularity has grown over the past three decades or so, and acupuncture is slowly making its way into mainstream American medicine.

Acupuncture for pain relief In contrast to traditional Chinese theory, most Western practitioners believe in using acupuncture to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue, a different approach to an ancient healing technique. This stimulation appears to not only increase blood flow, but also boost the body's natural painkillers, which is why acupuncture is sometimes prescribed for pain management. Some of its uses include symptomatic relief of headaches, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, tennis elbow, postoperative dental pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea.

Acupuncture for inducing labor Acupuncture has also been prescribed to ease labor pain, and, less commonly, even to induce labor. Many women are looking for natural ways to induce labor, but most medical experts remain skeptical or nonsupporting of alternative (nonmedical) methods for inducing labor.

However, in parts of Asia, acupuncture has been used to induce labor for hundreds of years. A study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina and published in the August 2006 issue of The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine seems to support acupuncture as a safe and effective alternative for inducing labor. Study participants included 56 pregnant women who were roughly full term. Half of the participants received three acupuncture sessions, while the control group didn't.

Among the acupuncture group, 70 percent went into labor without needing to be medically induced. In comparison, only 50 percent of the control group went into labor without medical intervention. In addition to these fairly significant findings, the study also showed that women who received acupuncture were less likely to require a cesarean section -- 17 percent versus 39 percent for the control group. This small study isn't enough to get everyone on board with acupuncture as an alternative for inducing labor, but it is promising. University of North Carolina researchers are also currently conducting a larger study, which may shed more light on the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture as an alternative to medically inducing labor.