The difference between acupuncture and acupressure for morning sickness symptoms.

Acupressure for nausea is very common. You can buy acupressure based bands in many travel and airport stores for instance which work on treating the pressure point "Neiguan Pc 6". In my clinic as an acupuncturist over the years i've heard many patients say they tried the bands but didn't feel any real effects. When they have had acupuncture for the same condition it had a much more pronounced effect on the same symptoms so why might this happen? Lets take the example of treating morning sickness for example. 

MORNING SICKNESS

Morning sickness can also lead to tiredness, if the symptoms of dry heaving, nausea and vomiting make it hard to hold down or eat food. Tiredness can come from not bieng able to digest enough foods. Acupuncture and acupuressure is a commonly used treatment for morning sickness. Even if acupuressure does not work to releive the symptoms, there is a big difference between the two therapies.

Acupuncture can access the bodies Qi (Energy) in multiple places at once, while acupressure can only access it in one point at a time (as you press each one). While some treatments of self acupressure can be powerful, there can be many reasons why acupressure dosen't work for morining sickness.

1. Incorrect point location. One common reason is the point location is wrong. Neiguan Pc 6 (called Pc 6 becuase it's the sixth point on the pericardium channel), is a common point for nausea. it's used in treating travel sickness and you will often see the bands you can put around your wrist to supposedly stop the nausea. If the band is in the wrong place, or the tightness of the band isn't sufficient to press the acupressure point then no effect will likely take place.

Location of Pc 6 Neiguan is deep between 2 tendons

2. Not enough or correct stimulation of the point. Points are deep in the body not on the skin. Another common reason why acupressure fails some people is that they don't obtain the Qi (Energy) of the acupuncture points by the pressure. An acupressure practitioner (also called a tui na practitioner) is a skilled practitioner of Chinese Medicine (in China it's a 5 year course) and they use around 28 different techniques, all with many hours of repeated, dedicated and specific training to be able to get the Qi (energy) of your body in the acupressure points. Not to say a layperson can't get the Qi, there is just a bit more skill involved than finding a point and pressing on it.

3. Wrong point for the pattern. In Chinese medicine, morning sickness doesn't have a one-size-fit's all diagnosis. When you see an acupuncturist they don't do acupuncture points for morning sickness. they do points for your pattern of disharmony thats causing the morning sickness. Two common patterns are "Liver Energy invading the Stomach" and "Deficiency of energy and blood leading to weakness of the Spleen and Stomach energy"

Essentially with nausea and vomiting, there is a mechanism of action problem with the Stomach Energy. Stomach Qi (Energy) should go down. When Stomach Qi goes up, we call it rebellious Stomach energy. Rebellious Stomach Qi can cause nausea, vomiting, refulx, acidic regurgitation and even epigastric pain. There are other points used for different reasons why the Stomach Qi has become rebellious. Often a combination of points is needed to have a thereaputic effect (as with acupuncture) rather than one point at a time (possible with acupressure).

By the way, the location of Pc 6 Neiguan is 2 cun* above the crease of the wrist, on the inside (medial aspect) of the wrist. *a cun is a measurement used in Chinese medicine, based on your body. 2 cun is is two fingers (of your fingers) spaced slightly apart. (1 Cun is the width of a thumb), so Neiguan, PC 6 is:

The point is that if you've tried acupressure for morning sickness before and it didn't work, it does not mean that acupuncture won't work. Also, that a more targeted or specific approach of acupressure could still be effective. It's worth seeing a professional, qualified practitioner of Chinese Medicine if you are suffering with morning sickness in pregnancy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marie Hopkinson is a Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Practicing from her clinic in North Perth, WA- METRO HEALTH AND MEDICINE. Marie can be consulted for appointments, while in-person is preferred, Email /phone consultations can be arranged. Marie has been practicing since 2000, completing initial 3-year course in Chinese Medicine at the Perth Academy of Natural Therapies in WA. Marie has been to China for additional training in the Hangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Hangzhou Shi Zhong Yi Yuan) twice as well as completing a Master of International Health at Curtin University in 2006. Marie is passionate about the effective practice and understanding of Chinese Medicine and enjoys the opportunity to educate patients about the benefits of self-help aspects such as diet therapy, as well as teaching Chinese Medicine at the Endeavour College of Natural Health.

For more info about booking an appointment with Marie CLICK HERE.

For more info about conditions treated with Acupuncture, and Chinese Herbal Medicine CLICK HERE.

Pregnant? The Chinese medicine and Acupuncture experience.

Pregnancy can be one of life's most amazing experiences, certainly each pregnancy is different and can have it's own different health problems as well as health benefits. 

From a Chinese medicine perspective, pregnancy is a "yin time"...yin and yang are two opposites in our body.

Yin is best described by  words like sedentary, building, solid, dense, rich, cold or cool
Yang is best described by - active, doing, dynamic, hot or warm

Processes in our body usually require yang and yin but there are times where we are more one or the other - Sleep is a time where it should be mostly yin. A disharmony of yin and yang here would be when there is an over activity of the mind or body at night when one should be quiet and resting.

In pregnancy, as the foetus is being "built" there is a greater consumption of yin (which is Blood and nutrients) in Chinese medicine. Eating more Yin foods is often necessary.  These yin tonic foods tend to be the more richer, heavier things like meats, grains and root vegetables. 

Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Diet Therapy are used for many discomforting symptoms which can occur in pregnancy including:
Morning Sickness, Swelling and fluid retention, pain - especially common is lower back pain and sciatica, promoting labor, overdue labor and foetus position correcting - Breech position is commonly treated with acupuncture and moxibustion.

In the coming weeks I will outline how Chinese medicine approaches some of these ailments and symptoms.

Many acupuncturists are in favour of doing a course of treatment from 36 weeks onwards to promote labour and smooth flow of Energy and Blood, which is intended to promote a normal labour. This type of treatment is called PRE BIRTH ACUPUNCTURE. In my practice, Metro Health and Medicine, I offer this treatment at once a week for 4 weeks up to the due date.

A recent study of patients who sought acupuncture during their pregnancy were asked by survey about their experiences of the birth and what benefits they reported from having acupuncture during their pregnancy.¹

Of 133 participants who gave qualitative data, there were five main reported outcomes (some gave more than one outcome). Effectively treated their chief concern (37,2%) Holistic benefit (22.9%), no benefit (20.61%), achieved desired birth (13.74%) and assisted in childbirth (5.73%)

A copy of this interesting study is available in our clinic's waiting area at Metro Health and Medicine.


REFERENCES:

1. Soliday E, Hapke P. Patient-reported benefits of acupuncture in pregnancy. Comp Therapies in Clinical Practice 2013;19(1): 109-113

USEFUL LINKS:

Debra Betts Website - A midwife and acupuncturist from New Zealand who has made an abundant amount of resource available:  http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/ 

Download the PDF booklet about pain relief in Labor:  http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/acupressure/download.aspx