Recently, I was treated with acupuncture for the first time to more fully understand what patients experience when they use this treatment option for fertility. I went to Patti Safian, who has a center in Montclair called the NJ Acupuncture Center for Fertility and Reproductive Health. She is an acupuncturist who specializes in infertility and is an affiliate of The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness in NYC. I have met with her several times to explore the concept of acupuncture, with the desire to really understand the theory behind the needles, the meridians, and the herbs and how it can work to help women restore fertility. Patti uses our Circle + Bloom programming during treatment while a patient is relaxing during their procedure, and she recommends our program to each of their patients.
After going through a fairly involved medical history answering all of Patti’s questions, we got started with the treatment. She first inserted a few needles around my face – in particular, in the middle of my forehead and around my ears to ease my anxiety. As I have PCOS, she focused on my “kidney” channel, and inserted needles mostly in the ankles and inner legs to focus on the kidney, liver and spleen channel, as well as the abdomen to release and open flow to the reproductive organs.
There were a few things that I wasn’t expecting that occurred during the procedure. First, I became very emotional about 5 minutes after the needles were placed, and Patti was unbelievably sensitive and extremely compassionate throughout the entire procedure. She explained that the emotions were sort of a “release” of sorts that the pressure points were relieving. Second, I was not expecting any pain but there was a tinge or pinch while the needles were being inserted which surprised me. The needles are extremely small and most people do not feel anything. Keep reading – we have a video below that recorded it all!
My experience is not uncommon with respect to feeling a real “opening” and release of energy – and that is always a good thing in my opinion. Whenever we can move around our feelings, emotions and energy it creates an opportunity for learning more about ourselves. I may be returning to Patti for more treatments, even though I am past my “TTC-ing.”
Pattis’ expertise in acupuncture grew from her interest in yoga and finding alternative ways to heal herself and her then very stressful career in the film business. She started to refer friends to acupuncture and then decided to study it on her own.
Specializing in infertility, Patti has treated hundreds of patients who have struggled to get pregnant and she can claim many many success stories of these women finally able to conceive after her compassionate treatment. Working very closely with Mike Berkley of The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness in NYC, who has a 13 year old practice exclusively dedicated to reproductive wellness. They have a strong philosophy of working in conjunction with RE’s, who are increasingly embracing acupuncture as an effective complimentary medicine.
The Meridian Pathways
In the body there are numerous channels and pathways that go through the body and attend to certain organs, called meridians. Acupuncture is all about finding where there is stagnation in these channels, and help the body to release the blocked pathways. Where there is pain and stagnation there is no “flow” – no movement, energy, or bloodflow. There can also be nodules, or physical impediments of sorts – like stuck blood or other constrictions that can come from a combination of stress, lack of breathing well, lack of movement.
She used the example of the way a river flows, and if there was a trauma to the body – using the example of a big tree that falls down into the river and there is a lot of mud stuck into the stream – there will be backup, or water that goes into other places. Acupuncture therefore takes that pathway and begins to move the elements that are stuck and reconfigure the flow. It starts to move the energy and correct itself. The insertion of the needles into where we see the stagnation of that particular condition, will help to resolve many imbalances and promote healing.
Yin and Yang
In Chinese medicine, there is the concept of Yin and Yang. It is believed that when these two forces are in balance, the body is healthy. When the forces are not in balance, acupuncture works to restore the imbalance by finding the correct pressure points along the meridian channels and apply the needles accordingly.
Energy, called “qi” (pronounced “chee”), flows like rivers along pathways, or meridians, throughout the body. This constant flow of energy keeps the yin and yang balanced. However, the flow of energy can sometimes be blocked, like water getting stuck behind a dam. A disruption in the flow of energy can lead to illness. The needles help to unlock the stagnation.
However, part of the “art” behind acupuncture is finding the imbalance. According to Patti, she finds it similar to peeling back the layers in an onion.
Using Acupuncture to Treat Infertility
Patti’s approach is very client specific. The first consultation is very involved as she goes through a complete history of each patient to help understand the potential underlying conditions that may be factors in infertility.
First and foremost, she explained that acupuncture is meant to help you feel relaxed. The calming effect is a very powerful component, in and of itself working to improve fertility. If you are stressed, your endocrine system is out of balance, and your condition can be exacerbated by the stress. Of course, this is one of the underlying premises in our programs as well, in addition to unlocking our innate mind body intelligence.
Second, she looks at the underlying conditions, essentially where the imbalance stems from. She described conditions as having varying temperatures, and whether you are too “cold” or too “hot,” stemming from imbalances or not enough blood flow – or Qi – to certain areas of your body. She also described as trying to “move the heart down to the uterus” and enhancing that connection. Patti explains:
“Acupuncture will help fertility in a variety of ways. Essentially, acupuncture will increase the hemodynamics of blood flow to the reproductive organs. It can also help regulate menstrual abnormalities such as follicular and luteal defects, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, PMS, endometriosis, fibriods, and PCOS. It will also help to increase the thickness of the endometrium lining, can help improve your egg quality, help prevent uterine contractions to during pre and post transfer for IVF. Other conditions it can treat include high FSH levels, low ovarian reserve, unexplained infertility, menstrual irregularies and frequent miscarriage. In addition, it can also help male semen in the quality and quantity of sperm.”
There have been many studies completed as to pregnancy rates improving while using acupuncture with advanced fertility treatments. A scientific review published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that acupuncture may improve a woman’s odds of conceiving if done in conjunction with IVF. The research found the odds of conceiving went up about 65 percent for women given acupuncture.
Practice Aspects of Getting Started
Here are a few guidelines to getting started with acupuncture:
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