Acupuncture helps depression and stress in pregnancy, whilst also being well-tolerated and free from adverse events, according to an Australian team.
The researchers, from Western Sydney University, undertook a pragmatic trial with 57 pregnant women suffering from depression. The women were randomised to receive either acupuncture plus usual care, progressive muscle relaxation plus usual care, or usual care alone. Treatment was given from 24 to 31 weeks gestation. Acupuncture was individually tailored to each patient.
Significantly lower depression scores were observed in the acupuncture group compared with the other two groups. The same was true of scores for stress and psychological distress.
(The feasibility of acupuncture as an adjunct intervention for antenatal depression: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 1 October 2020.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
View all posts by Robin Costello
