What is miscarriage?

Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks. Sadly miscarriages are relatively common, with an estimated 1 in 6 pregnancies ending in this way. When miscarriage occurs, especially during early pregnancy, it’s common for bleeding to damage uterine tissue. The womb (uterus) is important to conceiving again because it acts as a nourishing environment in which a fertilized egg can implant, grow, and eventually birth a healthy baby.Though a woman might not realize symptoms from damage until she attempts to conceive once more, her body will have already been affected.

A TCM explanation for miscarriage

There are a variety of TCM explanations for miscarriage:

• During pregnancy all of the body’s organs need to work together in synchronicity in order to maintain a pregnancy. A weakness in any one organ may result in a miscarriage. If for example there is a weak Spleen nutrients from ingested food will not be properly transformed into usable energy to develop a thick uterine lining that is capable of sustaining a pregnancy to full term.
• Blood and Qi play essential roles in sustaining a pregnancy. A mother’s energy – or Qi – needs to be sufficiently strong to ensure that her Blood is filled with nutrients and also circulates effectively. A miscarriage can result if her Blood becomes deficient or her energy levels decrease to a point that her body can no longer sustain her pregnancy.
• Obstructions such as scarring – both physical and emotional can also result in miscarriage. These can block the smooth flowing of energy as it moves around the body, and pinch off the energy that is required for pregnancy. Negative emotions such as stress exacerbate the problem as they can prevent the Liver from functioning correctly, leading to Liver Qi Stagnation. This has a negative impact on the both the quality and the circulation of Blood as it travels around the body.
• A deficiency in a woman’s Kidney energy may also result in a miscarriage. Women with this type of deficiency may have irregular menstrual cycles or she might not always ovulate. Kidney deficiency can be congenital or it can develop due to working too hard or being too stressed for a prolonged period of time. In addition, engaging in excessive sexual activity can deplete your Kidney energy.

Acupuncture after miscarriage can help you to cope

It is important that you seek help and support after a miscarriage. In addition to providing you with a confidential and safe space to share how you feel, an experienced and fully qualified acupuncture practitioner will be able to offer a variety of treatments that can help your body and mind to recover. Acupuncture after miscarriage can help you to recover from the loss and to help you to progress through the grieving process.

In TCM the Lung and Large Intestine are related to letting go, moving forward and to gaining a greater understanding of our place in the world. There are specific points along the energy channels – or meridians – of these organs that an acupuncturist might choose to treat. These are located on the hands, wrists and along the arms.

A woman that has experienced a trauma such as a miscarriage may also require some treatment to her Heart meridian. Treatments here are located along the little finger (no needles go anywhere near your physical heart) and your practitioner might treat specific points along this meridian with moxa to help to gently nourish the heart energy and to return the body to a place of calm.

Pregnancy after miscarriage – How can acupuncture for miscarriage help?

Once a woman is ready to try for pregnancy after miscarriage, it is important that treatment focuses on building up her energy levels – three months of treatment will put her in the best possible position to sustain a full-term pregnancy. Pregnancy after miscarriage is possible – and acupuncture can help!

If you are seeking acupuncture after miscarriage your practitioner will employ a number of TCM techniques to diagnose the underlying imbalances in your system that previously resulted in the threatened or actual miscarriage. These include a thorough diagnosis, looking at your tongue, checking your pulse and palpating your abdomen and the channels of your arms and legs. In these ways a practitioner is able to understand what might have gone wrong – and what needs to happen in order to strengthen your body sufficiently to sustain a future pregnancy. A course of treatment will then be devised. At GinSen, a typical treatment schedule may require twice acupuncture weekly for two weeks, followed by a series of weekly treatments.

Acupuncture after miscarriage can help in numerous and research backed ways in-cluding:

• Balancing hormones
• Treating PCOS – this is a major cause of miscarriage
• Improving the quality of endometrial lining
• Calming contractions early in the pregnancy and reducing the symptoms of miscarriage
• Improving blood flow to the uterus and preventing clotting
• Reducing stress and anxiety

Get pregnant after miscarriage –  Other natural treatment

While acupuncture is effective in treating and preventing complications due to miscarriage, there are other treatment such as natural remedies, moxibustion – a warming treatment that helps to rebuild your energy. These treatment can also be used in combination with or as an alternative to acupuncture. In addition your practitioner may make recommendations to your diet and lifestyle. In this way we will be able to rebuild a woman’s energy, assist in re-establishing normal hormone levels, decrease stress while support reproduction system health. As a result, these treatment may increase your chances of getting pregnant after miscarriage.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We can’t guarantee the treatment result, as the symptoms of conditions are unpredictable and vary greatly from person to person. The treatment length and recovery time also varies for individual. Please visit our clinics website: GinSen where a specialists will discuss your care and provide a consultation, and the treatment will be designed to meet your individual needs.