Acupuncture for Pregnancy

This is a 10 hour CPD course. This consists of 7.5 hours contact time and 2.5 hours self study questions to be completed and included with your certificate to be valid.

Summary

Pregnancy is a time when acupuncture can offer a valid alternative or complement to bring relief from common pregnancy pain and discomforts where conventional medical treatments are often restricted or contraindicated.

This course will give all practitioners who have contact with this patient group the necessary knowledge, practical skills and confidence to safely treat pregnant women and the various pregnancy related discomforts that present in clinic.

It will draw on the tutor's experience as an ex midwife, pain team nurse and acupuncturist to equip the practitioner with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct safe effective treatments for this patient group.

Objectives

Following this course you will be able to: able to:

• Discuss guidelines for treating pregnant patients
• Understand  protocols for treating musculoskeletal pain in pregnancy, including Back Pain, Pelvic Girdle Pain, Carpal Tunnel and Varicosities, overdue babies and cervical ripening
• Apply acupuncture techniques related to treating pregnancy discomforts including nausea and vomiting, varicosities, hyperemesis, headaches
• Understand the 'red flags' to treat pregnant women safely
• Discuss the considerations for needling pregnant women including positioning, comfort, checking mother and baby, dealing with abreactions and needle shock
• Know the contraindicated points in pregnancy and the rationale for avoiding their use
• Justify your treatment approaches for this patient group utilising current research
• Adjust point prescriptions to tailor to individual requirements of pregnant woman with back pain, pelvic girdle pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, nausea / hyperemesis, varicosities, overdue babies and headaches
• Locate and needle relevant acupoints confidently
• Utilise useful acupressure massage points
• Understand optimal foetal positioning and how to promote this through educating mothers

Content

Guidelines for treating in pregnancy

We will examine the special requirements of this client group in terms of health and safety, comfort and scope of professional practise.

Protocols and Techniques

Time for demonstrating and practising the relevant acupuncture points in pairs or small groups will be allocated.

Specific acupuncture point prescriptions for various conditions and pregnancy discomforts will be covered for the following:

• Musculoskeletal pain in pregnancy
• Back Pain
• Pelvic Girdle Pain
• Carpal Tunnel
• Headaches
• Varicosities
• Overdue babies and cervical ripening
• Painful varicose veins
• Hyperemesis, nausea and vomitting

Red Flags and contraindications

Understanding what is considered normal and abnormal for pregnancy and learn which points are contraindicated. We will examine the research underpinning acupuncture during pregnancy and the rationale behind why certain acupoints are considered high risk, medium risk and low risk for pregnant women.

Acupressure massage techniques

Acupressure points to teach patients for practitioners to use during in treatments or to teach as self care to patients will  be covered. In addition, a set of useful points to teach in antenatal classes or to teach pregnant patients and their birth partners how to cope with back and hip pain and for a tool to cope with labour pain during the birth.

Optimal Foetal Positioning

We will end the day with a brief overview of how, with guidance from the physiotherapist, a woman can influence the positioning of baby in the latter weeks of pregnancy to ease back pain and to facilitate  better birth outcomes. 

Cost

• £120.00 AACP Members
• £160.00 Non AACP Members

Please log-in to access the discounted members rate.

"Employer Paying" - Important Information

• Before registering onto this course, please click on the below “Employer Paying Application" for information on how to register your funding.
• No "Employer Paying" bookings will be accepted during the 30 days before the course start date.
• All course bookings made within the 30 days must be paid in full at the time of registration.

For full terms and conditions, please click here.