Last Updated on March 22, 2024

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) practice that uses thin needles to stimulate different points on the body to produce a range of benefits. Acupuncture has a long history of anecdotal evidence in eastern medicine as a cure-all to alleviate pain, boost immunity, and promote healing. While the scientific study has only recently documented some of the positive benefits that acupuncture may provide, the physiology behind how it works is still not well understood. While acupuncture is growing in popularity, it is still a complementary medicine even within the medical community. And that designation has some women questioning if acupuncture is safe during pregnancy. The treatment can potentially alleviate a wide range of unpleasant side effects that tend to come along with pregnancy, like nausea and vomiting, stress, depression, general pain and discomfort, fatigue, and much more.

Table of Contents

What we Know About Acupuncture and Pregnancy

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of research available on acupuncture use during pregnancy. While we have thousands of years of anecdotal evidence, those in the western world prefer to have analytical data to make calculated decisions about our healthcare rather than trusting our belief system as the eastern world does. We know based on a limited number of studies and supported by volumes of anecdotal evidence that acupuncture may help improve fertility and effectively reduce pain. But as far as the efficacy of acupuncture to cure common ailments like morning sickness, we’ll put that in the maybe pile because there simply isn’t any hard evidence behind it. Related: Acupuncture vs Massage: What’s the Difference? Acupuncture also doesn’t use pharmaceutical drugs to produce results, so that is promising as well. Many of the common drugs on the market are not intended for pregnant women, limiting pain relief options during pregnancy. In comparison to those drugs, acupuncture is considered a safe alternative.

Why People Use Acupuncture During Pregnancy

Pregnancy, while miraculous, is hard on the body. Rapid hormonal changes tend to cause physical illness and breast tenderness. The growing fetus is often blamed for severe fatigue, heartburn, and pelvic discomfort. And if you are really lucky, you might get saddled with constipation, hemorrhoids, or sciatica pain. While many women make it through pregnancy with little to no lasting symptoms, others are bedridden for months at a time. And for the latter group, there are limited options to alleviate their symptoms outside of complementary medicine. Acupuncture is believed to help with these common pregnancy-related ailments:

Chronic Pain and Discomfort
Labor Management
Mental Health
Fertility

Pain Management

The medical community is more open to trying acupuncture and other alternative medicinal interventions for pain management to reduce the number of opioid drugs prescribed. Most of the pharmaceutical pain relief options are highly addictive, and new mothers are a high-risk group for opioid addictions.

Labor Management

Women hoping for a med-free birth can try acupuncture. Some limited research indicates that acupuncture can successfully induce labor and may be beneficial in correcting breech positions. For acupuncture treatments from a team of experts dedicated to helping you heal, contact Inner Gate Health & Wellness. Our services include chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, and more.

Mental Health

Fluctuating hormones and major life changes increase the likelihood of mental health issues during pregnancy and postpartum. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in every five women experiences postpartum depression. In extreme cases, this can lead to neglect and harm to the patient and their child. So, mental health treatment is important during and following pregnancy. Unfortunately, many of the mental health prescription drugs we use are not safe during pregnancy. That means anyone who was taking these medications may need to stop treatment for pre-existing mental health conditions. Whether the condition is new or the patient has been living with it prior to the pregnancy, acupuncture may relieve anxiety and depression.

Fertility

To date, there is no scientific research that supports a direct correlation between acupuncture and fertility. However, centuries of anecdotal evidence indicate that the treatment has benefited fertility, and even many modern-day western doctors are embracing the treatment despite the lack of data available. And there is good reason why. Acupuncture does allow the patient to relax and relieve stress. And stress may be a major reason why some women have trouble conceiving. Therefore, while we cannot prove that acupuncture directly improves fertility, we can say that it supports a fertile environment.

Are There Any Concerns of Using Acupuncture During Pregnancy?

The good news is that acupuncture is a low-risk treatment with very few negative side effects. In most cases, patients experience mild to moderate soreness or bruising at the needle site. Occasionally a patient may experience weakness, fatigue, dizziness, or nausea following treatment. While the use of acupuncture has not been widely studied during pregnancy, there have been a minimal number of these adverse reactions in pregnant patients. We could only find one documented case that was secondary to an asthma complication and did not affect the fetus. But there is one notable concern about using acupuncture during pregnancy. One of the benefits is that acupuncture may induce labor in healthy, full-term pregnancies. But that also means that if used inappropriately, it could potentially induce premature labor. We recommend playing it safe and stick with a certified practitioner who is knowledgeable and well-trained in the correct and appropriate use of acupuncture. This will help prevent these types of problems, as well as more obvious concerns with poor hygiene practices and potential bloodborne pathogens resulting from dirty needle use. Related: Chiropractic vs Acupuncture Treatment

Final Thoughts on Acupuncture During Pregnancy

An increasing number of women are turning to treatments like acupuncture to cure what ails them. And for pregnant women, the needs are diverse. Acupuncture appears to be a fairly safe alternative medicine option with few side effects. It can calm the nerves of a new mother, ease the discomfort of morning sickness, and even aid in labor and delivery. The key is to find an experienced and knowledgeable practitioner that you trust to perform the treatments. And, of course, we recommend sharing your holistic care plan with your OBGYN so that you can receive the best care possible. Inner Gate Health & Wellness is committed to helping you feel better today using a variety of alternative medicine treatments. We are home to the best chiropractor in Portland and supplement our services with an expert acupuncture team, massage therapy, and naturopathic medicine. Book a consultation today.

Katherine V.

March 9, 2023.

While recovering from injuries sustained from a car accident, I have seen a few different acupuncturists as well as a chiropractor and masseuse at Inner Gate, and I have appreciated them all. The care I've received has been stellar - compassionate, personable, considerate, and soothing. Truly, Inner Gate practitioners have greatly helped me in my healing process. Thank you!

Abbie W.

July 26, 2022.

I have been seeing Nick Maxwell for Craniosacral massage for the last several months after a car accident left me with whiplash, nagging low back pain, a mild concussion, and stress and anxiety. He is an incredibly gifted healer that has helped me immensely! I have had a plethora of bodywork over the years, and I can undoubtedly say that his massages are the best. He has also helped with digestive issues/SIBO/nervous system recovery. I would never see anyone else again after finding him. I am much calmer, happier, and healing well thanks in big part to his care.

Elizabeth M.

February 10, 2022.

Well, I will start by saying that Nicholas Maxwell is my favorite massage therapist. I went to him after 1 year of shoulder pain. Before going to him, I was waiting for the pain to just go away; it didn't. He was the first person I sought any help from. I'm sorry to say, I didn't expect that much relief from a massage but after about 3 sessions I felt close to cured of 1 whole year of pain! He recommended a great physical therapist to solve my shoulder stiffness and pain. My pt said that Nick did a great job of loosening up the muscles for a quicker recovery. Nick seemed to wipe out all the surface pain and extraneous tenderness so that my pt could pinpoint my injury which turned out to be shoulder tendonitis. Now I see both of them concurrently. They both gave the same estimate for recovery, which was shorter than I thought it would be. I've had more that 50 massages in my lifetime (CA, NY, NV), Nick is the only massage therapist I have been to that leaves me feeling better for days and days after the actual massage. If I could describe what Nick's massages feel like, it would be like this: If the ocean waves had massaging hands, they would be Nick's. Before going to Nick, I am a chuck steak. After my massage, I am filet mignon. What can I say, Nick Is Awesome!!

Julian J.

November 4, 2021.

My physical therapist suggested acupuncture for my chronic knee injury in July 2021. I'm going to explain my story, but I want to say at the beginning that Emma Ellsworth at Inner Gate Health & Wellness saved me from a life of chronic pain. It's really difficult and frustrating to find good care anywhere these days, so trust me when I tell you that you can end your search now. Just call Inner Gate and ask for Emma. I always find it helpful to read health care reviews from folks who suffer from the same issues as me, so here's a bit about my medical history: My orthopedic physician diagnosed me with IT band syndrome in my right knee in January 2021. I began a course of physical therapy, but not only did the IT band syndrome not get better, I actually developed IT band syndrome in my left leg due to overcompensation. I pushed myself a little too hard and started noticing that even very light exercise would cause my symptoms to flare up (inflammation, pain, swelling, etc.). By May 2021, I could not walk more than 3 blocks at a time without my knees flaring up. Keep in mind that I'm an otherwise healthy person in my mid-30s. I then developed hamstring tendinopathy in both legs, I assume to disuse. Along with preexisting patellofemoral pain syndrome issues, suffice to say that my knees were totally busted, okay. After all that, my physical therapist and orthopedic physician basically threw their hands up and suggested either cortisone shots for the rest of my life, acupuncture, or prescription pain medication that I really shouldn't be taking due to family history of hypertension. In comes Emma. I'm a huge believer in modern Western medicine and everything, but Emma succeeded where two physical therapists, a physiatrist, my orthopedic physician, and my primary care doctor all failed. Emma succeeded not only because she did something they did not - acupuncture - but she succeeded because she was more effective and patient at taking time to find the actual root cause of my issues. She is super methodical about interviewing me at the beginning of every session, evaluating what worked / didn't work from last time, trying out new areas for acupuncture, and over the course of 4 weeks eventually found an acupuncture solution that reduced my pain. I remember when it happened - I had an acupuncture session one Friday in October, and two days later I was going for a walk and ended up walking like 3 times further than I had walked in the past 6 months. I stopped and was like, "Wow my legs don't hurt at all." The pain literally vanished, went from a 5-6/10 on the pain scale all day every day down to 0-1. The massive pain reduction has allowed me to resume my physical therapy exercises with less pain and start rebuilding my knee strength. I still go to acupuncture to deal with some knee meniscus issues and overall wellness / mental health issues. Honestly, I feel such a tremendous sense of wellness after every acupuncture session that I kind of don't ever want to stop going. Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading and hopefully my story is helpful. Seriously, go see the folks at Inner Gate. You won't regret it!!

Mitchell P.

October 19, 2021.

Inner Gate Health & Wellness provides exceptional care! Their staff, specifically Emma Ellsworth, is skillful, compassionate, and effective at providing holistic healing services, including acupuncture. I highly recommend treatment with Inner Gate and Emma Ellsworth for symptoms including depression, anxiety, pelvic floor pain, back pain, and digestion issues.

Ruben S.

April 15, 2021.

This is a long overdue, rave review for Terry. I've been to many acupuncturists over the last decade and she is hands down the most helpful and accommodating. I came in with a very unsolvable problem (tinnitus) and had tried everything before coming to Terry. Terry has helped improve my symptoms with Tinnitus and a number of other issues. She's also extremely patient and takes time out of every session at the beginning to go over progress and how I'm feeling. She has a good understanding of my problems and is always ready with solutions to help. Acupuncture with Terry is one of the highlights of my week -- thank you for being so great!!

Dr. Kaley B.

November 28, 2020.

Very impressed! Great acupuncture, well organized front desk. Liz is fantastic, and I'm not a fan of needles. Finally got some relief from back and neck pain. Looking forward to a few more sessions!

Abbie W.

September 15, 2020.

I highly recommend Oliver Leonetti at Innergate Acupuncture! I have seen him for the last 12 years for various ailments - ranging from nagging sports injuries to digestive issues to insomnia/anxiety, and he always provides the highest level of care that truly lasts. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable and skilled, but he is super kind and caring and always take the time to truly listen. I always feel better after leaving my appointment. I honestly do not know what I would do without Oliver or Innergate Acupuncture! Also, I've seen several of the acupuncturists there, and they are all fantastic as well.

M W.

July 9, 2020.

I can't recommend these guys enough! I have a 10 yr old competitive skier who was having some knee pain & had never had acupuncture done before...not only did these guys gently ease him into the entire process - they also helped him get back on the ski hill after the first couple of treatments I was super impressed with their professionalism & how both Liz and Casey approached his injury - now my little guy looks forward to going to his acupuncture appointments! Yay! Thank you a zillion times over for taking such good care of my little guy.

Abby J.

January 9, 2020.

I used to think acupuncture was sort of hokey. Not total witchcraft, but definitely not the magic, cure-all that people said. Well, folks, a few months in and I can report that I'm a changed woman! Well, really, it only took one session. Terry took my whole health history into consideration and helped with everything. Anxiety, sleeplessness, colds, ankle injuries, back pain--you name it. I've come in with problems and always left improved. I'm sure all the acupuncturists are lovely, but I want to stress how awesome Terry is. She takes my concerns seriously without making me feel like I'm at a stuffy doctors office. She approaches her work with humor and friendliness and is spot on with her treatment. Terry has made me feel comfortable from the get-go and has made my weekly appointments something for me to look forward to. My friends all have heard me rave about her, so I'd say everyone I know should go see her, but then I may never be able to squeeze in my appointments again! Just kidding, of course. Also, big props to the front desk staff too. They have been super kind and helpful when guiding me through insurance issues or unexpected after work traffic. I'd highly recommend Inner Gate SE to anyone with any ailment!

Is Acupuncture Safe During Pregnancy? Find Out!