Acupuncture is effective at easing morning sickness in early pregnancy, according to a new study.

Dr. Caroline Smith and colleagues studied almost 600 women who were all less than 14 weeks pregnant and experiencing frequent nausea and vomiting.

These women were divided into four treatment groups for the four-week long trial.

The first group received traditional acupuncture, in which thin needles are inserted into specific points on the forearm or abdomen. Another group received p6 acupuncture, in which the needles were inserted into the p6 point that is typically associated with nausea and vomiting.

Additionally, a third group had needles inserted near the p6 point, while the fourth group did not receive any acupuncture.

At the end of the first week, women who received traditional acupuncture had less frequent and shorter periods of nausea. This effect lasted through the duration of the study.

Women who received p6 acupuncture, meanwhile, had less nausea than women who did not receive acupuncture through the last three weeks of the trial. Women who received acupuncture near the p6 point had less nausea in the third and fourth weeks.

Furthermore, women who received traditional acupuncture reported greater improvements in vitality, emotional state, mental health and social and physical function at the end of the study.

Study findings appear in the March issue of Birth.

　　From Faxwatch.com