Thriving From Within-Acupuncture for Women's Health — Thriving with Eastern Medicine & Acupuncture

“I am sweating non-stop at night to where I am soaking the sheets!” “I feel this bone-shearing fire and it gets worst after eating sugar.” “My own mother when through 10 years of pure menopause hell with hot flashes, night sweats, and rage-will I experience the same thing!?!”. “Will these hot flashes last forever?”.

These are all of the questions we get in our Acupuncture Consultations with women in the Peri-menopause and Menopause transition. I am here to tell you-No, these symptoms do not need to be extreme and do not have to last forever. Let us dive into what is Menopause, why do some women experience some of these symptoms, and what Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can do to lower them.

Breech Baby, Acupuncture, & Moxibustion

Breech is another variation of normal in birth! I know this sounds completely foreign, but hear me out. Throughout pregnancy the baby can be in a variety of positions and can shift at all points during development. Sometimes around the 32-week mark, the baby shifts into a Breech position, or bottom down into the pelvis. If you or someone you know discovers baby is in breech position you may feel fear and pressure from friends/family, or even your own provider. Breech is a variation of normal because the baby can rotate at ANY point of the pregnancy right up to delivery and believe me when I say there are providers, who are confident and trained, in how to deliver breech babies. If you desire for your baby to rotate out of a Breech position; I am going to tell you how Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Myofasical release can and does help move baby from Breech position to head down.

Cupping For Mastitis

There was an interesting case study reported in how Cupping can be effective for mastitis pain relief for breastfeeding mothers (1). We all know breastfeeding is a learned skilled, needing ample community support and encouragement. Mastitis sometimes becomes part of the breastfeeding journey and needs to be treated quickly before becoming a larger problem. Fire cupping is a simple and effective tool to be used to help pulling out the clog and open the milk ducts. To explore this treatment option for mastitis, let us review what we are looking in “What is Mastitis?’”, “What are the symptoms?”, “What are the causes?”, and “How Fire Cupping and other Traditional Chinese Medicine tools can help?”

Acupuncture & Fertility

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a wonderful medicine to help support the Fertility journey for the 1 out of 8 couples, who experience Fertility challenges. Traditional Chinese Medicine has an established system of TCM Gynecology that supports Women’s Reproductive Health including the tools of Acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, and more

Acupuncture & Labor Prep

Acupuncture can be used to prepare for labor and natural “induction”. We have seen many pregnant women come into the clinic looking for natural ways to prepare for labor and are trying to decrease the risk of scheduled inductions, or C-Sections. This blog is to explain how Acupuncture can help with labor preparation, what are the benefits, what points are used, how we approach Labor preparation, and what we have seen in the clinic.

Preparing for IVF with Supplements

There are so many supplement products out on the market for being advertised as Fertility support. In this blog, we want to share some of our recommendations on which types and what brands of supplements we recommend for preparing for IVF (in-vitro fertilization), IUI (intra-uterine insemination), or ICSI. These are only recommendations and every women has their own individual needs, so use this as a baseline. Always consult with your REI specialist and TCM Gynecology Acupuncturist for guidance for your Fertility program.

When planning on conceiving via Reproductive Technology, it is best to do these supplements for at least 3 months alongside any Fertility preparation program. Why? Because it takes 3 months to help enhance, mature, and improve egg quality. The goal is to create quality and healthy sustaining eggs for conception alongside providing nourishment via vitamins and minerals for your body to help support the intended pregnancy.

Acupressure for Calming Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal reaction to any anticipated, or imagined, danger to ready someone to fight-flight-freeze-fawn mode. Anxiety can be motivating to avoid danger, or push towards our goals; but it can be uncontrollable with over-worry and chronic tension. cupressure is the application of firm pressure with the fingers on specific points on the body known as Acupuncture points. These Acupuncture points are concentrate areas on the body that provide specific relief for various ailments. These points have “high electrical conductivity at the surface of the skin” allowing “qi” to flow through the meridians. The meridians are energy pathways connecting the acupuncture points to their associated internal organ. Here, one can use acupressure on one location of the body to treat another part of the body.

Improving Male Infertility with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, & Supplements (Part 2)

Now, it is time for the fun information for Improving Male Infertility with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, & Supplements. We will cover how TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, approaches Male Infertility, explain how Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine can Support Male Factor Infertility, some basic nutrition recommendations, lifestyle adjustments, and an outline of supplements for basic Male Fertility to improve Sperm health.

What is Male Infertility, Testing, & Possible Causes (Part 1)

When it comes to Fertility imbalances, many focus on the women’s health, or ability to conceive. There are many products, articles, studies, and opinions on what women should and should not do to realign any infertility conditions. Yet, the information and opinion on Male Infertility falls on deaf ears. Even though, 1 out of 8 couples experience infertility challenges and about 30 to 50 % of the cause of infertility is male factor related.

Uterine Fibroids, Acupuncture, & Herbal Medicine

We have all heard of Uterine Fibroids and how they can be invasive to our wombs and lives. Most often, uterine fibroids can happen at any point during our reproductive age from menarche (1st bleed) till menopause. It is very common for increase growth of fibroids during the ages of 30 to 40-years old. I am sure some of you have heard of the stories from your mom, grandmother, and aunts, in how they had painful periods, heavy bleeding, felt 5 months pregnant, and most often decided to try birth control, or given a hysterectomy as remedies. Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Nutrition can help reduce uterine fibroids, improve fertility options, and manage any regrowths of fibroids.

Supporting Peri-menopause, Naturally

Peri-menopause is NOT a disease, or medical condition. It is a natural transition every woman will experience. This is a sacred transition from our reproductive years transitioning into wisdom. This is a time where women need support, nourishment, and creative expression. Yes, many will experience some uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, but there are natural solutions to help ease this transition.

Easing Period Cramps, Naturally

At some point in their reproductive years, women will experience at least one painful period. For many with PCOS, Endometriosis, and Pelvic Inflammatory Disorder, severe cramping and painful periods may be the norm. Teenage girls are experiencing an increase in painful periods, where they are missing school. Here is a list of some things to do to ease period cramps for short term management and long term healing.

PCOS & Acupuncture

September is P.C.O.S. Awareness Month! We will be sharing some tips on how to navigate managing PCOS, naturally, for healthier periods, regulate ovulation, improved digestion and metabolism, and supporting fertility. Often women diagnosed with P.C.O.S. may experience Painful Periods known as Dysmenorrhea, or Painful ovulation.

The Basics Needs Of Postpartum Transition

The transition into motherhood is know as Matrescence, or the 4th trimester. It is the first 3 months after giving birth where the new mom is healing on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level. She is adjusting to the new identity of motherhood, while forming a new bond and relationship with the little life, who is making a big impact. The new mom needs to be mothered during this time to give her the best outcome and foundation of health. Cultures all over the world have customs in place to mother the new mother. Here, we will talk about the 5 basic needs of the Postpartum Transition that goes beyond the 6-week check up from the Ob-Gyn.

Neuropathy Relief with Acupuncture

Peripheral Neuropathy is a common condition affecting the quality of life for many. There are different causes to Peripheral Neuropathy with limited ways to traditionally treat its effects directly. Peripheral Neuropathy may start to effect the way one can grasp with their hands, or perception of their feet. The ability to write, hold their cup of coffee, or walk around the golf field can be hindered. The best therapy is Electroacupuncture, where a tens unit is clipped onto the Acupuncture at a very low frequency on selected Acupuncture points. This a very gentle sensation creating a relaxing experience. The benefits of using Electroacupuncture is decrease numbness, decrease sharp/burning pain, no more “ant crawling sensation”, healing nerve damage, improve balance, improved ability to walk on uneven surfaces, and able to improve grip while drinking coffee.

Supporting The Immune System During COVID-19

Danielle DickshinskiJuly 3, 2020Thriving with Eastern Medicine & Acupuncturevirus, COVID-19, Immune support, herbal medicine, lung helath

Treating PCOS with Chinese Medicine

P.CO.S., Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome is one of the leading causes of infertility and very common, affecting 6 to 10% of premenopausal women. P.C.O.S. is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility (meaning no ovulation). In order to diagnose P.C.O.S., 2 out of the 3 key symptoms are needed:

Treating Endometriosis with Chinese Medicine

March is the month dedicated to Endometriosis Awareness, so we will be posting a few blog articles to teach what is Endometriosis, how does it effect women day to day, how does it effect the monthly cycle, and natural ways to manage it. We have seen quite a few women have painful periods starting in their late teens and continuing into their 20’s and 30’s. When a woman is ready to start their family, Endometriosis is one of the main obstacles leading to secondary infertility. Chinese Medicine helps work with the root cause of Endometriosis, while decreasing the discomfort of its painful symptoms.

How Does Our Hormones Flow During the Month?

Just like the cycles of nature, our hormones have a cyclical rhythm. Women represent this natural phase monthly as each hormone waxes and wanes in synchronicity with one another. Each hormone serves a messenger between the Endocrine (hormonal) system and other tissues and organs. When this synchronicity of communication is thrown out of balance; then, we experiences symptoms of hormonal imbalances, which can mean too little, or too much, of one or more hormones. Before we dive into what can go wrong with our hormones relating to our monthly cycles. It is important to empower ourselves with the knowledge of our body. We need to understand what healthy and balanced looks like for us. Today, will explore the 4 Phases of our Monthly cycle and learn how the main hormones synchronize with one another to give us a flowing and creative experience.

Acupuncture for Easing Painful Periods (Dysmennorhea)

Acupuncture is well known for easing pain such as lower back pain and headaches, but it is not well known for its benefits for period health. At some point in a woman’s life, she may experience one, or many painful periods, requiring her to take time off from work, school, or other aspects of life; so she can lie in bed with a heat pack, ice cream, a pack of Midol, and maybe some tears.