Acupuncture Pregnancy and In Vitro Fertilization

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of great emotional and physical change. It is also a time when it’s more important than ever to care for your well-being. This is where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture can help you meet the unique challenges during your pregnancy. Some of the symptoms that be helped include; Back and sciatica pain, breech birth, constipation, edema (swelling from fluid retention) excessive lactation, fatigue, heartburn, hemorrhoids, labor and delivery, morning sickness, and psychological problems.

A specialized treatment plan will be tailored to your specific needs. If your due date has passed, acupuncture can be successful with inducing labor. Western medicine for inducing labor involves the use of medication. Acupuncture and acupressure can help by controlling your pain, calming your mind, and reducing stress during delivery.

After baby has arrived, it’s important to properly recover. Acupuncture can help you regain your strength, boost your immune system, and provide relief if you experience postpartum depression. At this point it is important to discuss an ongoing treatment plan to maintain your wellness.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Treatment for infertility with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dates back over 2000 years. In my practice I have had a great amount of success in this area, especially with women in which traditional (IVF) methods alone have failed. Research done at Cornell Medical Center has concluded that acupuncture will: Increase blood flow to the uterus, realty improving the chanced of an ovum implanting on the uterine wall, reduce anxiety therefor reducing the secretion of hormones that decrease fertility, normalize the endocrine system which regulates ovulation, positively affect the hypothalamic-pitutary-ovarian axis which plays a key role in fertility, regulate the menstrual cycle. Spasmed fallopian tubes can be unspasmed by acupuncture and combined with herbal therapy can help with repeated pregnancy loss, idiopathic infertility, elevate follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), leuteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), men with sperm-DNA-fragmentation, increase levels of serum cortisol (CORT) and (PRL). Again, research has proven that an increase in these levels greatly increase fertility and successful implantation of an embryo.

As one can see, there are many factors that are involved in the process from conception to delivery.  Fertilization and a healthy pregnancy is a very complex process. This is why I take a detailed and comprehensive clinical evaluation of the individual patient and compose a treatment plan specific to that person. For more information, call my office at 561-272-7816.

Edward Scarlett (Cert. Ac. Dipl. Ac)         Alive and Well Acupuncture Clinic Delray Beach, FL

The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels and is responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and removing carbon dioxide and other waste from them.  Heart disease includes conditions affecting the heart, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease.

Despite dramatic medical advances over the past fifty years, heart disease remains a leading cause of death globally and the number one cause of death in the United States.

By integrating acupuncture and Oriental medicine into your heart healthy lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 80%.  Steps to prevention include managing high blood pressure and cholesterol, quitting smoking, eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, physical activity, reducing stress and improved sleep – all of which can be helped with acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

1. Manage High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, increasing its oxygen demands and contributing to angina. This excessive pressure can lead to an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly), as well as damage to blood vessels in the kidneys and brain. It increases the risk of heart attacks, stroke and kidney disease.

Acupuncture has been found to be particularly helpful in lowering blood pressure. By applying acupuncture needles at specific sites along the wrist, inside the forearm or in the leg, researchers at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, were able to stimulate the release of opioids, which decreases the heart’s activity and thus its need for oxygen. This, in turn, lowers blood pressure.

2. Quit Smoking
Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a major cause of coronary artery disease? In fact, about twenty percent of all deaths from heart disease are directly related to cigarette smoking.

Acupuncture has shown to be an effective treatment for smoking. Acupuncture treatments for smoking cessation focus on jitters, cravings, irritability, and restlessness; symptoms that people commonly complain about when they quit. It also aids in relaxation and detoxification.

3. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Obesity is associated with diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, all of which increase the risk of developing heart disease, but studies have shown that excess body weight itself (and not just the associated medical conditions) can also lead to heart failure. Even if you are entirely healthy otherwise, being overweight still places you at a greater risk of developing heart failure.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are an excellent adjunctive tool when it comes to losing weight. They can help to energize the body, maximize the absorption of nutrients, regulate elimination, control overeating, suppress the appetite, and reduce anxiety.

4. Reduce Stress
Stress is a normal part of life. But if left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains, or irregular heart beats. Medical researchers aren’t sure exactly how stress increases the risk of heart disease. Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it could be that high levels of stress make other risk factors worse. For example, if you are under stress, your blood pressure goes up, you may overeat, you may exercise less, and you may be more likely to smoke.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial benefits of acupuncture in the treatment of stress, anxiety and mental health. In addition to acupuncture, Oriental medicine offers a whole gamut of tools and techniques that can be integrated into your life to keep stress in check. These tools include Tui Na, Qi Gong exercises, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, meditations and acupressure that you can administer at home.

5. Improve Sleep
Poor sleep has been linked with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Researchers have shown that getting at least eight hours of sleep is needed for good heart health and getting less than eight hours of sleep can put you at a greater risk for developing heart disease.

Acupuncture has shown great success treating a wide array of sleep problemswithout any of the side effects of prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids. The acupuncture treatments for problems sleeping focus on the root disharmony within the body that is causing the insomnia. Therefore, those who use acupuncture for insomnia achieve not only better sleep, but also an overall improvement of physical and mental health.

Contact an acupuncturist in your area for a consultation to see how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can assist you with your heart health and help you to live a long, healthy life.

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