TREATMENTS

Breech Presentaion

The answer to this question is that it is not very well understood. There is one point near the end of the little toe on either foot that has been used empirically for turning breech babies for thousands of years. Moxibustion, also known as moxa, burned near this point is the traditional way to stimulate it. Moxa is a Chinese herb that has been processed and formed into a cigar-shaped stick which burns very slowly and gives off penetrating warmth.

Years of experience have shown us that it is also important to include a full body acupuncture treatment to help the woman relax and let go of any tension she may unconsciously be holding in her body. Acupuncture almost always stimulates the baby to move a bit with the rise in endorphins and this combined with deep relaxation can also help the baby turn. During the treatment, we teach the woman how to apply the moxa herself and send her home with plenty of sticks. She then gets someone to burn the moxa near the points a couple of times a day between appointments.

Back pain in Pregnancy

Once the acupuncturist has ascertained the cause of the back pain, the acupuncture treatment can begin. It is important to note here that the exact cause of the pain does not dictate how successful the treatment will be. Pain that is caused by herniated discs responds just as well to acupuncture as back pain caused by muscle spasms. This is because the acupuncture works by bringing more cir-culation to the area and helping to reduce inflammation, reducing swelling and relaxing the muscles so that spasms cease. Acupuncture also affects the nervous system and helps to reduce the pain response being elicited from the troubled area on the hip or back.

Morning Sickness

While we are still discovering how exactly acupuncture affects different conditions, in the case of nausea during pregnancy it is most likely due to the fact that acupuncture can help balance hor-mones and also raise endorphin levels which make us feel better in general. Your acupuncturist will first listen to your description of symptoms. Every woman has a different experience of nausea- whether it is worse when they eat, dependant on what foods they eat, whether they have a bad taste in their mouth and how severe the nausea is. Your acupuncturist will then be able to give you an estimation of success with acupuncture, how long that might take and create a treatment plan. Most women feel like they can tolerate food and smells much better after acupuncture treatments.

Fertility

Acupuncture offers a natural approach to treating infertility by focusing on enhancing the quality of eggs, sperm, endometrial lining and cervical fluid. Sometimes this is enough for couples to con-ceive on their own and it is a very important step for couples who are about to undergo the expense and physical demands of IVF. Acupuncture can also support patients during In Vitro Fertilization, Artificial Insemination, and Hormonal Therapy cycles. The current research points to increased pregnancy rates when couples include acupuncture as part of their infertility care and we are work-ing hard with the doctors and fertility clinics in our area to uncover the mechanisms for the fertility benefit of specialized acupuncture treatments.