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April 2016

What to Expect During Your First Acupuncture Treatment

We understand there is a lot mystery surrounding our medicine and the questions or even fears you might have the first time you come into our office. Rest assured, we are here to make you feel safe, comfortable, and help you grow your family!

If is our hope that this will help you feel more at ease at your first appointment, but if you have any specific concerns, please feel free to ask!

Your initial treatment will last about 60-90 minutes: At your initial visit we make sure to have plenty of time to discuss your fertility history, goals, general health, and ensure all of your questions are answered. We’ll go over the benefits of acupuncture, what you can expect, and your treatment plan. You will then receive a full treatment session. It’s a good idea to make sure you’ve had something to eat before your appointment. Sometimes a treatment can make you feel momentarily lightheaded and this is more common if you’re hungry.

The treatment itself is very relaxing: When we are ready to begin treatment, you will be asked to lay down on a massage table either face up or face down. If we need you to undress to reach points on your back, for example, you will be allowed to change and get under a soft, flannel sheet. We keep our tables heated so you will be nice and warm, but we can turn them down or off if you get too warm.

The needles: After you’ve goteen situated on the table, we will swab all the points were going to use with alcohol and begin inserting the needles. Don’t worry, we will tell you when we are about to begin so there are no surprises! The insertion of the needle can feel like a tiny pinch, but many people don’t feel anything at all. Once they are all inserted you shouldn’t feel anything uncomfortable. If you do, tell your practitioner so they can make adjustments for you. Soon you will find yourself in a deep state of relaxation.

Length of Treatment: Once all the needles are in, and you are comfortable, you will be left to rest. The needles are left in for about 20-30 minutes and you will be checked on to ensure you remain comfortable. Most people will find themselves in a state of deep relaxation or even fall asleep!

Diet, Supplements or Herbs:

We sometimes make dietary or lifestyle recommendations if we feel it will support your goals. Occasionally, we will recommend herbs or supplements to support your fertility, though they are not always appropriate during every cycle or for every patient. The majority of the supplements we recommend come from Theralogix. They are leaders in fertility supplements and all of their products are third party tested. We also sometimes make dietary recommendations based on your overall diagnosis if we feel it will support your goals. If you would like to order one of their products, feel free to use our PRC discount code: 137923 or give us a call. We carry a few of their most popular fertility supplements here in the office.

Once the treatment is finished, needles will be removed. After you change, we will go over your treatment plan and reschedule you, if needed.

After your treatment you will probably feel very relaxed. You might find that you sleep well that night. If you have any questions after your treatment please call or email the office.

Our IVF Acupuncture Protocol: Improving Pregnancy Rates up to 60%

A painless and relaxing complement to your upcoming cycle that can increase your chances of success!

With the development of in-vitro fertilization, many families unable to conceive were suddenly given hope. Over the years, there has been great scientific interest in improving this procedure and success rates have increased greatly and currently hover right around 30% for women under 35.

While this is all great news, most will agree that a success rate of 30% in the youngest population of infertile women leaves a lot of room for improvement. Women going through or preparing for IVF treatment will wonder if there is anything else they can be doing to improve their chances. In addition to maintaining a healthy body weight and healthy lifestyle, acupuncture remains one of the most commonly sought after complementary treatments for couples going through IVF. With numerous research studies showing improved pregnancy rates, many doctors and fertility clinics are coming on board with combining their treatments with acupuncture.

In our clinic, over the last two years, we saw a pregnancy rate around 60% for all women who went through an IVF cycle. This number includes all ages and all types of transfers (frozen, fresh, and egg/embryo donor). These results are truly amazing and in line with what many other acupuncturists are seeing in their own clinics.

Just think, if all women going through IVF had acupuncture treatment we would have so many more success stories and the cost savings of not having to do repeated IVF cycles would be astounding!

We use a protocol inspired by the work of Dr. Magarelli and Diane Cridennda, and other fertility acupuncture research, that involves a series of treatments specifically timed throughout your IVF cycle to help support each phase of your cycle. This protocol has been shown to not only increase your chances of getting pregnant, but improves live birth rates as well! They found a reduction in the number of miscarriages, rates of ectopic pregnancy, and even lower numbers of multiple pregnancies when using this protocol in combination with IVF. The protocol has even been shown to help keep certain hormones at levels consistent with women who get pregnant on their own to support a healthy, successful cycle. After all, the ultimate goal is a take-home-baby!

We divided the protocol into 4 phases corresponding with your cycle. The bulk of the protocol begins when you begin your cycle medications, but it is recommended to being treatment designed to help prepare your body for your upcoming cycle about three months before your expected cycle.

4 Phases of TNCRA’s IVF Acupuncture Protocol:

Pre-Conception: Treatments in the 3 months preceding the cycle to manage stress, regulate hormones, and help your body prepare for the cycle. For more information about our preconception program click here.
Ovarian Stimulation: Treatments are done twice weekly along side your ovarian stimulation medications to help increase the quality and quantity of your eggs and reduce side effects.
Transfer: A treatment given immediately before and/or after your embryo transfer to increase blood flow to the uterine lining, reduce uterine contractions, and manage stress. We are available 7 days a week for pre and post embryo transfer appointments.
Transfer Follow Up: One treatment 5-7 days post embryo transfer to support implantation, early pregnancy, and reduce stress.

Throughout your treatment you can expect to feel more relaxed, get better sleep, and see a reduced number of medication side effects like bloating, mood swings, and cramping. Many of our patients report that the cycles they’ve done with acupuncture are ‘easeir’ than those done without. And, hopefully, at the end of it all you will get those long-awaited two pink lines!

TNCRA’s owner and acupuncturist, Sarah Prater, inserts needles into a patient.

We are comfortable working alongside any of Knoxville’s fertility doctors and have even seen patients from doctors in neighboring areas and out-of-state. We work closely with your cycle and will check in frequently to make sure the timing of your treatments is the most beneficial for your cycle. We truly love our work and want nothing more than for you to have the family of your dreams.

Please feel free to contact us by email or phone at 865-315-3845 if you have questions about your own cycle or are interested in scheduling an appointment. We also have online scheduling available.

Please feel free to reach out, we are always happy to help!

We wish you the best of luck with your cycle!!

5 Things Your Fertility Acupuncturist Wants You to Know

New to acupuncture? We really don't care if you haven't shaved your legs. — New to acupuncture? We really don’t care if you haven’t shaved your legs.

Since many of our patients have never had acupuncture before, we put together this somewhat playful list of things to know that might help you be a bit more comfortable at your acupuncture appointment. Enjoy!

We don’t care if you’ve shaved your legs (or if you shave them at all): Trust me, the last thing we’re thinking about when we’re looking for a point is how prickly or smooth your legs are. If I had a dime for each apology I’ve received for unshaven legs, I’d be rich! We do palpate to find the location for the needles, and that is the real focus. We’re usually trying to feel for a landmark along a bone or muscle to help us find the correct location for the point.

We don’t notice your imperfections: People come in all shapes and sizes. I know we are all self conscious about certain things (hips, thighs, feet, belly, etc.), and for many women weight can be a big issue. Sometimes, body confidence can take a hit if you experience bloating with fertility treatments, or if you’re pregnant and your body is changing in new and unfamiliar ways. We think you look amazing! We’re here to help you along your journey to motherhood and are not thinking about your size, shape or anything else. However, if your weight might be an issue related to your fertility, we can talk about helping you make changes to get down to a healthy weight.

We want to know if you’re afraid of needles: While the needles are painless and the treatment is very relaxing, we like to know if there is an underlying fear. There is a lot we can do to help alleviate fears such as answering your questions, explaining any aspect of the treatment in more detail, helping you breathe through needle insertions, or not mentioning needles at all! Our main goal during the treatment is to help you feel comfortable, so speak up! Trust us, after the first needle is put in, that fear will melt away!

Tell us if you are uncomfortable during the treatment: If you’re too hot or too cold, let us know! If a needle feels uncomfortable, let us know! If you’re not sure how you can lay your arm comfortably without bumping a needle, ask and we’ll help you! I’ve even scratched a few itchy noses after needles were put in. (Why do noses always start itching the minute you can’t easily scratch them?) Anyways, in addition to receiving your acupuncture treatment, we want you to relax and enjoy it.

It’s ok to share: We understand that infertility and pregnancy are deeply personal and it may be uncomfortable, hard, or even painful to share some of the details of your story. It is ok if you laugh, cry, or just don’t want to talk about something. We listen with open hearts and always have a tissue ready. We ask to understand your history and to better understand you as a person. We also know things come up during our conversations that are considered “TMI” to many people. There is no such thing as TMI with your acupuncturist, so don’t ever shy away from something you feel is important because of what we might think. More often than not, what you share is incredibly helpful in giving you the best care. We are very used to talking about all things fertility and pregnancy related and want to use that information to help!

Combining East and West: 5 Keys to Successful Fertility Acupuncture

baby-784607_1920-crop-u371 — Benefits of a fertility specialist and other tips for successfully adding acupuncture to your fertility treatment.

Please read the guest blog Sarah wrote for Circle Bloom. Circle Bloom has developed downloadable audio tracks to help foster a healthy mind-body connection while you are on your fertility journey. They have programs for all stages of the journey including fertility treatment, natural conception, pregnancy and beyond. We highly recommend their programs. Check out their free download here.

If you find yourself sitting in the waiting room of the fertility clinic, you’re probably wondering if you’re doing all you can to help your cycle be a success. You might have heard about some women adding acupuncture to their treatment cycles or even considered it yourself.

Acupuncture is a safe and effective way to increase your chances of conception and can be combined with IVF, IUI, and other fertility treatments. Many fertility clinics are even starting to offer acupuncture in-house! If you aren’t so lucky as to have such a clinic nearby, this article is for you!

At our clinic, Tennessee Center for Reproductive Acupuncture, we specialize in combining acupuncture and fertility treatments. We see many benefits to this approach such as:

Reduced stress and anxiety
Decreased medication side effects
Improved egg quality and quantity
Increased thickness and quality of the endometrial lining
Improved pregnancy and live birth rates
Prevention and reduction of uterine contractions
Decreased chance of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy
Encouragement of embryo implantation
Hormone regulation

Adding acupuncture to your already complicated fertility treatment schedule can seem like a daunting task, but luckily there is help! Read below for a few tips we’ve learned on how to best incorporate the two treatments:

Try to find a fertility specialist in your area. An acupuncturist who specializes in fertility will be familiar with the type of treatment you are undergoing and may have even worked with your doctor. They will usually have flexible scheduling to allow for last minute changes in your treatment and even have extended availability for pre and post embryo transfer appointments.
Call before your treatment starts. While acupuncture can be started at any point during a treatment cycle, many acupuncturists have protocols they use for each type of cycle. So calling a month or so before your cycle begins can allow you to plan for your appointments. At the Tennessee Center for Reproductive Acupuncture, we often recommend treatments in the weeks before your cycle, but most of our protocols begin when the cycle starts.
Keep communication open. Make sure your acupuncturist knows of any changes or problems that come up during your cycle. This can help us better time your appointments and allow us the opportunity to help treat side effects and issues, all to help your cycle become a success.
Continue treatment during pregnancy. Assuming your treatment is a success, (fingers crossed!) acupuncture can be safely used to support a healthy pregnancy for you and your developing baby. We strongly recommend treatment during the first trimester, as this is the time when most miscarriages occur. It can also help alleviate morning sickness, fatigue, stress, and other symptoms. Many women will continue treatment throughout their pregnancies!
Let your acupuncturist know your treatment results: We are very passionate about our trade and feel the highs and lows right along with you. So, please let us know how your cycle turns out! And we always welcome little ones for a visit!