What is Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?
Acupuncture is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is a holistic approach to medicine that can be dated back 5,000 years. Chinese Medicine encompasses acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, and mind/body practices. We work to bring the body back into balance, heal, and restore your health. By inserting tiny, disposable needles into individualized acupuncture points, we direct the flow of energy in the body to promote optimal health.
What do I treat?
Acupuncture is a whole system of medicine and can help treat a lot of things! I specialize in the whole women’s health spectrum from puberty to beyond menopause. We can help with painful and irregular periods, PMS, fertility, postpartum support, lactation, menopausal symptoms, thyroid issues, autoimmune diseases, insomnia and much more! If you have any questions about how I can help you, feel free to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Can Acupuncture/TCM help get me pregnant and how long will it take?
There are so many reasons and underlying causes why conception isn’t happening as fast as expected. At your first appointment, we go through an extremely detailed health history where we will discuss everything in depth.
Acupuncture has been studied and is said to help women conceive. It regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis which controls what hormones are produced, the amount and the timing they are released. We work to balance hormones and increase blood flow to your pelvis so you have increased chances of conceiving. I also work with couples undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART) to improve the success rates.
I also work with men to help ensure their sperm quality and quantity and achieve optimal health.
In addition to acupuncture, I use herbal medicine and supplementation of nutrients to help increase success rates as well. This can lower FSH levels, promote blood flow to the uterus, increase uterine lining, and improve egg quality.
There is no specific time frame for every woman to conceive. I advise women to get weekly treatments for 3 cycles so we can regulate that to normal hormonal levels. There are 4 phases of the menstrual cycle that we work with – the menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and follicular. We will discuss this further at the initial appointment.
What should I wear?
Please wear comfortable clothing to your appointments. I will most likely need access to your lower legs and arms and frequently use acupuncture points on the abdomen and back. I can also use sheets to provide more coverage.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
If done by a qualified practitioner, acupuncture generally does not hurt. The needles are so thin that you can fit about 12 acupuncture needles into a hypodermic needle. You should feel very relaxed during the treatment and some people actually fall asleep.
For additional questions, feel free to email me via the Contact page!