Fertility and IVF Support
Fertility challenges can take a heavy emotional toll on couples. Joshua uses acupuncture, Chinese herbs and practical lifestyle guidance to support women and men who are trying to conceive naturally or with IVF.
A Detailed Look at Your Cycle and History
Fertility care at the clinic begins with a detailed health history, including an additional menstrual and fertility history, so Joshua can see the full picture from a Chinese medicine perspective. People seek acupuncture for irregular periods, age-related fertility concerns, high FSH, endometriosis, PCOS, recurrent miscarriage, cycles without ovulation, poor response to fertility medication and low sperm count. Treatment is set up to work on the underlying imbalances, including in cases that fertility doctors describe as unexplained.
Joshua may recommend keeping a daily temperature chart. Blood work on day 3 or day 25 shows a single snapshot of hormone levels, while a daily chart shows changes throughout the cycle and can reveal problems with the timing of ovulation.
How Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs May Help
- Acupuncture is thought to increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which may help build a healthier uterine lining.
- Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are commonly used to help regulate ovulation and support follicle quality.
- Acupuncture is thought to release endorphins and lower stress hormones, which can affect the balance between the brain and the reproductive glands.
- Many patients find acupuncture helpful for the emotional side of fertility treatment, such as anxiety and insomnia, and for medication side effects such as headaches, mood swings and bloating.
Support During IVF
For patients going through IVF, acupuncture visits are scheduled around each phase of the cycle, including stimulation, egg retrieval and embryo transfer. The schedule can change based on how each person responds to medication. Women with poor egg quality may begin treatment several months before a planned retrieval.
Acupuncture cannot correct structural problems such as blocked fallopian tubes or a large fibroid pressing on the uterus, and it cannot restore an ovarian reserve that has run out. For this reason, a basic fertility workup is recommended before starting acupuncture, especially for women approaching or over 40.
Self-Care Tips
- Track your cycle with a daily temperature chart.
- Include more protein with meals and choose complex carbohydrates over simple sugars to help manage blood sugar and weight.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are not a substitute for medical care. Talk with your doctor about new, severe or worsening symptoms.
How Joshua may treat it
Care is tailored to each patient and often combines more than one approach.
Acupuncture
Thin, sterile needles placed at specific points to support the body's own healing response.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Custom formulas that are adjusted as your condition changes.
Cupping
Glass cups that create suction to release tight, tense muscles.
Gua Sha
A traditional technique for tight, sore and restricted muscles.
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Whether it's gardening, playing with your kids, sleeping through the night, jogging on the beach, or simply getting through the day without pain, our personalized acupuncture treatments are designed to help you move, heal, and feel better naturally.