Essence & Qi

A blog by Pacific College

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Fertility Acupuncture…and No, it’s Not Just For Women

Ok, so most of the patients ARE women, but at Fertility Specialists Medical Group (FSMG) in San Diego, both men and women, are experiencing the benefits of fertility acupuncture, according to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) Alumnus Maring Allen LAc.

Allen works at Zen Fertility Clinic and with FSMG treating men and women fertility patients, some who are integrating acupuncture treatments with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and others who are trying to conceive naturally.

For women patients, here’s how fertility acupuncture works:

· Fertility acupuncture regulates the hormone system.

· Treatments help to direct blood flow to the reproductive organs.

· Acupuncture points are chosen based on the woman’s menstrual cycle (This is key for women trying to conceive naturally.  Acupuncturists like to treat throughout the woman’s cycle.)

An important note to consider is this: it takes three months to build an egg, according to Allen. This means that patients should plan to schedule a minimum of three months of acupuncture treatments for optimum results.

Want to learn more? FSMG is hosting a free event TONIGHT at 5:45p.m. on “Complementary Therapies” including Fertility Acupuncture. Click Here for Details.

Who should attend? “Anyone who is looking to get pregnant,” Allen said, “Even if you’re not having fertility issues, you can learn and plan for conscious conception, producing the best quality embryo.”

Does it really work? Success speaks for itself.  Allen talks about one couple that had been trying to conceive naturally for over a year. The husband had “1% morphology,” which meant IVF was the best option. They both came regularly to Allen receiving acupuncture, herbs and supplements…a week before their first IVF cycle was scheduled to begin the woman had a positive pregnancy test. Allen continued treating the woman up through her pregnancy of a healthy baby boy!

Along with acupuncture, Allen suggests other complementary therapies as well, including: Mayan Abdominal Massage (to help properly position a uterus that is out of alignment), hypnosis to help emotionally and mentally with improving fertility, and proper nutrition.

Zen Fertility Center offers a “Fertility Challenge” email newsletter, describing fertility exercises to try such as: daily meditation, yoga, qi gong, and more! To become part of the “Fertility Challenge” email: info@pacificcollegeblog.com .

Holistic Nursing Tips for Coping with Stress in the Workplace

Many of us experience some degree of stress in the workplace, but ironically, nurses (who help treat patients suffering from stress related illnesses) are experiencing stress at a much higher rate than most other groups, according to a study conducted by the American Nurses Association. In the study, 70.5% of nurses cited the effects of stress and overwork among their top three health and safety concerns.

We think you can relate to some of the reasons why, even if you’re not a nurse. They include: workload, inadequate staff coverage, time pressure, relationship with other staff, leadership/management style, excessive noise, lack of influence in decision making…and that’s just to name a few.

While nurses as a whole are suffering from stress, a nursing specialty group called “holistic nursing” offers a refreshing perspective on how to heal yourself from the stress plaguing your life.

Holistic nursing views all parts of a human being as inseparable and interconnected. Our mental, emotional, physical and social/relational aspects are all intertwined and interconnected, according to the American Holistic Nursing Association. In other words, what affects one part of yourself will influence all the other parts too, so by engaging in a variety of positive and anti-stressful activities, you will be reducing the stress in the other areas of your life.

Holistic nurses suggest some of the following activities for coping with stress in a healthy way:

  • Yoga and Tai Chi
  • Meditation/Prayer
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Art, Music, and Dance
  • Journaling
  • Cognitive Restructuring
  • Diaphragmatic Breathing

To read about some of these methods, as well as other stress reduction exercises, visit the American Holistic Nurses Association . Do you have a stress reduction technique that’s worked for you? Tell us about it!