2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 18:44
For a woman, a miscarriage is a difficult ordeal, both physically and mentally. In Canada, it is estimated that one in five pregnancies ends before the 20e week.1
Acupuncture is a natural medicine that can accompany you and help you during this difficult time.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Miscarriage
Acupuncture is one of the components of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM, a balanced person is a he althy person. It is when an imbalance sets in that discomfort appears.
Most miscarriages therefore come from an imbalance of the body, mainly from a deficiency in the kidney and/or the spleen.
In some cases, a chromosomal abnormality in the fetus naturally leads to miscarriage. Fortunately, acupuncture cannot prevent these.
Organs according to TCM
The acupuncturist uses the theory of the five elements as an analysis grid to recognize and classify a person's signs and symptoms. As you can see in the table below, each organ is associated with an element.
|
Item |
Associated organ |
| Wood | Liver |
| Fire | Heart |
| Earth | Rate |
| Metal | Lung |
| Water | Kidney |
The vision of organs in TCM differs from the vision Western medicine has accustomed us to.
In a miscarriage, the Kidneys, Spleen and Liver are the main organs involved.
Kidney: According to TCM, the Kidneys are our roots. It is our innate and our acquired, what our parents gave us at birth and what we do with our lives. The Kidneys are very important during growth, puberty, reproduction, pregnancy and then menopause. These are our reserves. They must be strong to allow pregnancy and prevent miscarriages.
Rate: The Spleen transports and processes food. It has a crucial role in the production of blood which must nourish muscles, organs, brain, uterus and fetus. During pregnancy, the blood must be sufficient to create a welcoming living environment for the embryo and also to nourish it. The Spleen must be strong to allow good blood production.
Liver: The liver stores blood and circulates it in the body. Our Liver is very affected by our Western way of life. stress, anger,alcohol, tobacco and coffee are elements that disturb the Liver and prevent the free circulation of blood in the body.
Acupuncture, curative and preventive medicine
In the West, we are used to consulting a doctor or alternative medicine therapist when experiencing symptoms of illness or discomfort. However, a large part of the virtues of acupuncture lies in its preventive aspect.
In addition to being an interesting alternative to help women recover from a miscarriage, acupuncture is very effective during preconception or early pregnancy. It helps to tone the body and can thus help prevent miscarriages.
Acupuncture following a miscarriage
“In Chinese gynecology, it is said that a miscarriage is more serious than childbirth.”2 In addition to severe blood loss and a sudden hormonal imbalance, the woman undergoes a significant mental and emotional shock. This great loss brings a lot of sadness that is often underestimated. The body suddenly finds itself out of balance.
Acupuncture helps restore balance to the body and mind, by toning the blood and the Kidney and Spleen organs, while calming the Liver. These treatments allow the woman to recover more quickly after a miscarriage and to prepare the body to welcome a new pregnancy.
Normally, a few treatments are enough to restore the balance and the woman inwill experience several benefits:
- energy increase
- better quality sleep
- good digestion
- reduced anxiety, feverishness and stress
Preconception acupuncture
A woman who has suffered one or more miscarriages would benefit from consulting an acupuncturist for some preconception treatments.
During your first meeting with an acupuncturist, he will ask you several questions related to the reason for your consultation, but also about your general state of he alth and your background. He will then draw up your energy balance and will be able to determine the imbalances present.
Preconception acupuncture treatments aim to tone the body in order to stimulate fertility and prepare the body to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term.
Acupuncture in early pregnancy
A single miscarriage should be distinguished from recurrent (more than three) miscarriages. Luckily, just because you had a miscarriage doesn't mean your next pregnancy will end the same way.
Acupuncture in early pregnancy is very effective in reducing the risk of miscarriage. Treatments are therefore strongly recommended for women who have experienced more than one. Indeed, by toning the Kidneys and the Spleen, we can avoid several miscarriages which would be the result of a vacuum in the body.
Onusually recommends acupuncture treatment every week until the end of the first trimester (about 12 weeks). In addition to making your body stronger, the acupuncturist can treat other minor discomforts of early pregnancy:
- nausea and vomiting
- fatigue
- anguish, anxiety and stress
- insomnia
- constipation
At the same time, you will enjoy a beneficial and well-deserved moment of relaxation.
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