For breech presentation of a baby in the later stages of pregnancy, a common treatment from the acupuncturist’s stable of techniques, is to warm a specific acupuncture point on the foot, using a herb called moxa. The method is known as moxibustion, and if a case is suitable, I instruct a woman in how to do this herself or with her partner’s help.
A systematic review from Holland has compared the effects of such techniques, with normal management. Researchers looked at six randomised, controlled trials plus three cohort studies, and found that the proportion of breech presentations remaining after treatment averaged 28%, whereas in the control groups, it averaged 56%.
(Effectiveness of Acupuncture-type Interventions versus Expectant Management to correct Breech Presentation: a Systematic Review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, April 2008.)
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.
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