Brooklyn hospital turns to acupuncture as homeopathic option to anesthetics for mothers-to-be. Acupuncture is being combined with Western medicine during labor and delivery at the Brooklyn hospital in what officials there say could become a viable option to pain-relieving drugs.
Preliminary research at the hospital suggests the therapy can significantly reduce pain, shorten labor and reduce the amount of anesthesia used in an epidural procedure, in which medication is administered directly into the spine.
“Many people don’t want medication during labor for a variety of reasons, and acupuncture provides a non-medication alternative for pain relief,” said Dr. Iffath Hoskins, chairwoman of Lutheran’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.