This week , I have Dr. Shauna Hindman answering questions about acupuncture during the perinatal period. She is a Chiropractic Physician and Acupuncture Diplomate. Shauna holds degrees from Ohio University, National University of Health Sciences, The International Academy of Medical Acupuncture and recently received her Diplomate in Integrative Medicine. She has been in practice since 1998. Shauna and her husband Will have two children, Alexa and Blake. Outside of acupuncture care she has a passion for traveling and enjoys reading anything she can get her hands on. 

WHAT DREW YOU TO ACUPUNCTURE?

I personally began Chiropractic care as a teenager due to a car accident. I enjoyed the non-medical means of health care and decided to look at both Psychiatry which I had always been interested in and Chiropractic.  Once I was in the midst of school, I knew Chiropractic was the best fit for me.  I attended a medical based Chiropractic school in Chicago which offered the best of both worlds regarding traditional care and alternative care.  We moved from Chicago in 1998 and set up practice in Columbus.

In 2007, my husband was diagnosed with a very rare cancer and needed extensive surgeries.  At the time our children were very young and I was concerned about the amount of pain medications the hospital wanted to send home, especially since we are the family that has the one bottle of expired Ibuprofen that may be missing 2 tablets (ie not big medicine users).  I had always been interested in acupuncture and decided right then that I was going to go back to school and learn the best methods to heal him naturally.  I am happy to say my husband is currently doing very well.   I initially planned on using acupuncture in the practice for pain relief but soon discovered many of my patients were becoming pregnant as a side benefit.  I then tailored my protocol towards helping infertility patients and following them through birth.  We have had great success in both natural conception and aiding in IUI and IVF therapy.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN A BIT ABOUT HOW YOUR OFFICE SERVES PREGNANT FAMILIES THROUGH ACUPUNCTURE CARE?

Our office is unique in terms of the ability to offer a multitude of therapies in one office.  I personally provide acupuncture and chiropractic care to the patients along with nutritional support.  This starts pre-conception to help balance hormones to get pregnant; during pregnancy to help with nausea, headaches, back pain, sciatica, breech presentation etc.; leading to delivery where we can induce safely via acupuncture if needed.  Following delivery, we can aid the mom in helping balance the postpartum hormones and issues they may have with carpal tunnel from the pregnancy, milk production and mastitis.  We do work with infants also to help with latch issues, ear infections and reflux.  It’s important to have an infant checked if they had a particularly difficult delivery.

Our office consists of Marni who is our office manager.  Beth works front desk and  Pam offers massage therapy. Dena is a BSN and offers Thermography. Patients enjoy having a serene office experience and not feeling like they are in a rushed, stark clinical setting.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR USING ACUPUNCTURE AS AN ALTERNATIVE INDUCTION OPTION?

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Asia.  It was introduced in the US in the 1970s and has increased in popularity ever since. Acupuncture is safe and effective and works by increasing the energy in body channels called meridians to cause the baby to move downwards by starting uterine contractions. The baby is being stirred from a yin state of relaxation and moved to an active yang state.  This process is best done when the baby is at or after its due date.  Many first time moms may require 2-3 visits to allow for a successful induction.  Second time moms usually are successful with one acupuncture visit. I do request the patient has approval from their midwife or OB before beginning care. I always start with an exam including vitals to make sure the patient is healthy and a candidate for acupuncture.  The most common side effect of acupuncture is the possibility of slight bruising.  It is a very safe modality.  The 2008 Cochrane Collaboration study reviewed 212 acupuncture inductions and concluded that acupuncture had no averse side effects.  A study by The University of North Carolina followed56 women who received 3 acupuncture treatments and found 70% went into labor with acupuncture and had only a 17% cesarean delivery rate compared with 38% of medical inductions.

I have not come across any negative response from local OB or midwives as of yet. On the contrary, my calls come from patients that have been referred in via their OB, midwife, or Doula. The medical community has been very approving of acupuncture in my experience. 

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WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU LIKE READERS TO TAKE AFTER READING THIS?

 Know that you always have options in your healthcare. Ask for referrals of others that have had similar issues and don’t allow yourself to feel dismissed. If something feels wrong, keep pursuing until you have someone find the issue and take action to resolve it.

I have a Facebook page under Polaris Wellness that I post various articles on and practice updates that they may like.  My website is the same www.polariswellness.com and I am open for questions at drhindman@polariswellness.com

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THE READERS WITH?

I have a passion for helping people live their best lives in whatever means is possible to me.  We never know what the future holds, so we must enjoy life while we are here.  This is much easier to do when you are not in pain, feeling unwell or dealing with anxiety which I can help with. Love your life! Find ways that work best for you to find balance and peace and remember to Breathe! 

 

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