Childbirth by natural method is the best, but women sometimes need help before it can happen.
One of these supports is the application of methods to induce labor – acupressure. Is it safe and effective?
What are the best pressure points to induce labor? Let’s find out.
What Is Acupressure For Inducing Labor?
Acupressure is a treatment method chosen by many people in treating health problems and serving beauty needs.
This method uses the hands to directly affect the identified points on the body to stimulate the acupuncture points.
The advantages of this method are:
- Quickly relieve a series of unpleasant health symptoms without the need for medical induction like drugs
- Support to improve the effectiveness of some other medical induction methods.
- It helps support the treatment of bone and joint diseases, respiratory diseases, etc.
- Improve circulatory disease, blood circulation, regulate blood flow, reduce heart rate
- Improve function and treat neurological diseases: headache, insomnia, vestibular disorders, etc.
- Alternative therapy to help restore and enhance vital activities.
- Support the treatment of many other conditions such as diabetes, myopia, stomach pain, and weak kidneys.
The correct technique of acupressure will not cause any side effects.
Because of its wide therapeutic scope, many Chinese Medicine specialists also often use it to treat reproductive disorders, especially to induce labor and relieve pain during childbirth.
Pressing on the acupuncture points will stimulate contractions, but pregnant women need help from others when performing this technique or can ask a reflexologist to do it.
What Are The Best Pressure Points To Induce Labor?
The human body has 108 acupoints, of which 72 are basic, and 36 are considered death points.
Each acupuncture point has different uses, and to stimulate labor, some foot pressure points, pressure points on feet, and hands like B 60, PC 8, LI 4, etc., have the best effect.
Bladder 60 (B 60)
In Oriental medicine, Bladder 60 is the acupuncture point located at the heel. It is shaped like a mountain, that’s why it is also called Kunlun – a mountain in China.
To locate it, find the intersection of the heel’s outer edge with the line extending from the top of the ankle bone.
The point between the two tendons of the peroneal muscle, in front of the heel tendon and behind the lower end of the tibia, is it.
It is an effective point to support the treatment of difficult labor, women with placental remnants, and children with epilepsy.
B 60 acupressure can help stimulate labor contractions and relieve labor pain. It encourages the fetus to descend during labor.
Do not acupressure it when the fetus is not enough weeks of pregnancy to potential risks like preterm labor, fetal distress.
Bladder 67 (B 67)
Bladder 67 (or Zhiyin) is located on the outer edge of the little toe, 0.2 knuckles from the base of the toenail, on the junction of the plantar and instep skin.
The effect of Zhiyin acupoints is to treat heat on the soles of the feet, headaches, nosebleeds, stuffy noses, webbed eyes, itching all over the body, malaria, cramps, no sweat, sadness, etc.
B 67 acupressure also helps to treat difficult birth conditions, placental abruption, and misplaced fetuses, helps rotate the fetus to the correct position, promotes labor contractions, stimulates cervical dilation, and reduces discomfort during labor.
You can pressure Zhiyin by pinching it, but pregnant women can’t reach the little toe alone, so get someone else’s help.
Pericardium 8 (PC 8, Labor Palace Or Laogong)
This is a popular acupuncture point in Oriental medicine. It is located in the center, on the horizontal ridge in the palm.
When the fist is closed, the point where the tip of the middle finger will come into contact with the palm is Laogong.
It plays an important role in regulating yin and yang, stimulating the stage of labor. Pregnant women can act on it by pressing slowly with one hand on the acupoint of the other hand.
Large Intestine 4 (LI 4 Or Hegu)
In Oriental Medicine, Hegu is one of the best pain relief acupuncture points, which can relieve any pain, including headaches and shoulder muscle, and pain during labor.
Point LI 4 is one of the 14 points on the hand and is a famous acupuncture point.
Acupressure therapy can also strengthen the body’s defense, used to relieve allergies, sinus congestion, colds, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, eye pain, and toothache.
Hegu acupressure on the back of the hand, right between the index finger and thumb also is one of ways to induce labor.
It also works well in reducing headaches and dispelling anxiety during labor.
You can combine the above acupuncture points with others to improve efficiency, such as Spleen 6 (Sanyinjiao), Gallbladder 21 (The Shoulder Well or Jianjing), etc.
How To Perform Acupressure?
Identifying the right reflexology points to induce labor is important, but how it is done is also key to its effectiveness.
To help stimulate work, we press the above acupressure points according to the following manipulations:
- Place your thumb or 1-2 fingers on the firm pressure point. When pressing, you should use your middle and index fingers to create more force.
- Press and hold your finger at that point for 5 seconds and incorporate deep breathing
- Gently massage the area with your hands for 2 minutes in a circular motion
- Change to another pressure point, repeat the above process 5 times for each point
- Press and massage can be performed several times a day
Some people may experience mild adverse effects after acupressure treatment. Acupoints that have never been affected will experience tightness, so mild pain exists.
Beginners do not know how to relax for the first time, so they are more prone to pain, but this feeling will gradually lessen as you get used to it because the body already knows how to relax.
Adjust hand tempo and apply light pressure at first to reduce feeling.
Is It Safe To Press The Pressure Point That Induces Labor?
The correct acupressure technique is one of the ideal natural labor induction methods because it doesn’t have negative effects and does not cost as much as other medical intervention methods.
The most important point is to do it early and often.
Many acupressure points can be pressed and are considered safe during pregnancy at 37 weeks.
You can still apply force to the trigger points to induce labor when you are very close to your due date, and labor will come on its own.
Please keep in mind below notes:
- Not applicable to people with chronic shoulder aches and neck pain, mediastinal or pulmonary disease, diabetes, or people who cannot tolerate pain.
- Do not apply to skin that is sore, inflamed, or injured (both closed and open).
- Do not do acupressure while suffering from gastric perforation or appendicitis.
- Please consult your birthing center before doing it because some acupuncture points in the hands and feet can cause contractions that affect pregnancy.
- Do not arbitrarily use acupressure to induce labor; do not let people without knowledge and experience do it.
- Can combine with deep tissue massage, firm massage, ankle massage, or exercises to induce labor.
Conclusion
Acupressure is a safe and effective treatment method, especially for sensitive subjects such as pregnant women.
However, only using the right way and at the right pressure points to induce labor will be most effective. Be careful when applying this method.
