Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Our initial visit will be virtual. We'll have a detailed discussion about yours and/or your partner’s medical history, current health concerns, and any symptoms you're experiencing. Your lifestyle habits and daily routines also play an important role in your overall well-being. This information helps me understand your overall health and tailor the treatment to your specific needs. We, as licensed acupuncturists and holistic medicine practitioners, are like detectives seeking to understand what is going on inside of you so that we may restore balance for all our patients.

For our first in-person visit, wear comfortable, loose clothing (no yoga pants!) so that we may have access to all of the acupuncture points needed without wasting our treatment time to change clothes.

During this visit, I will perform a physical examination, which will involve checking your pulse, examining your tongue, and palpating certain areas of your body for tension or tenderness. These techniques provide additional insights into your body's condition and help me determine the best approach for the course of treatments, as well as to make appropriate recommendations beyond the treatments offered in the clinic.

For acupuncture, once the needles are inserted, I'll leave you to relax for about 20 to 30 minutes. Many people find this time to be quite soothing and may even fall asleep. Some individuals experience sensations of warmth, heaviness, or energy movement during the treatment. It's all part of the process.

Nothing should be uncomfortable or painful, and I do my absolute best to make sure of that.

The treatment course and duration will be inherently different for everyone. Generally speaking, the effects of acupuncture are cumulative and it can take around 3-4 months of weekly acupuncture to start seeing improvements.

Why at least 3 months? Because that is how long it takes for both eggs and sperm to grow and mature. During this time we will focus on creating an optimal uterine environment, healthy follicles, better quality gametes (sperm and eggs), balancing hormones and regulating the menstrual cycle, as well as optimizing yours and your partner’s health and wellbeing as a whole. However, some cases may be otherwise complicated, so this will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Many people will actually start seeing results even sooner and will notice improvements in sleep, digestion, mood, or even cervical mucus, along with other symptoms that they were not even necessarily expecting to improve before receiving a pregnancy.

When it comes to acupuncture, it is possible to experience mild side effects like slight bruising, temporary soreness, or occasional light-headedness. However, these effects are typically short-lived and should not be a cause for concern. It's a good idea to eat 30-60 minutes before your treatment, drink plenty of water and take it easy after the session to allow your body to fully integrate the treatment.

The number of needles used can vary depending on your specific condition, but it typically ranges from 5 to 20 needles. The placement of the needles depends on your individual needs and the treatment goals we discussed earlier. They may be inserted on different areas of your body, such as your arms, legs, back, or abdomen.

Acupuncture is not “woo-woo,” a placebo, nor pseudoscience…despite what you may read on Wikipedia. The “magic” is simply a physiological response from your body to the stimulus of a needle in a certain area or point.

When we understand the data that is available throughout the current literature, we can conclude that there are measurable changes that take place in the body when acupuncture needles are placed in these areas or points that affect our body’s natural pain killers, stress hormones, anti-inflammatories, micro-circulation, and much more.

Click here to learn more about the research being done that lends support to the idea that acupuncture and TCM have beneficial effects on our fertility and health.

Traditional Chinese medicine is not a religion and there is no belief needed. There is nothing magic to it!

The needles used in acupuncture are sterile, disposable (single-use), very thin and flexible. Acupuncture needles are commonly not even felt as they enter the body. It’s absolutely nothing like getting a shot! In fact, about thirty acupuncture needles can fit into the opening of a hypodermic needle.

Once the needles are in place, you may experience a slight tingling or a dull ache, but it's generally not painful. Everyone's experience is unique, but it's important to remember that acupuncture aims to promote relaxation and balance in your body. Most people feel so relaxed that they fall asleep!

There are many other modalities of Chinese medicine that do not involve the penetration of needles, like Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion, and cupping therapy. If you’re feeling nervous/anxious, we can start with these therapies and see how your body responds.

Some people may not actually need acupuncture, depending on their condition. However, a person most likely will not get the same results (or at least not as quickly) as he/she would otherwise by combining all of the powerful modalities together.