Tag: fertility

Hypothyroidism, Clinical Anxiety, Insomnia and…. Fertility

by  on  in Case Studies

 

Many patients come to acupuncture with more than one health issue, and as treatment continues, other priorities come to light. Health, as in life, is rarely a linear process and recovery is often a journey that can take a somewhat circuitous route to its destination.

 

Phillippa came to see me a couple of years ago. She’d been diagnosed with hypothyroidism a couple of months before and had started taking Thyroxine to control it. It was the first time she’d ever really been ill and this had a profound effect on her mental as well as physical wellbeing.

 

Despite taking medication, her hormones were all over the place, the anxiety became so severe she had to stop work and the stress meant she carried a lot of tension in her muscles. She also developed insomnia which understandably made everything more challenging.

 

A clinical diagnosis requiring ongoing medication can be difficult to accept, and this then may elicit other distressing symptoms. So using Chinese medicine to complement the Western approach helps to manage not just the initial problem but all the other symptoms around it. This may also lead to a reduction in medication (under medical supervision) which can only be a good thing.

 

After Phillippa’s initial health issues were brought under control, she continued having acupuncture, TuiNa, cupping and moxibustion on a maintenance programme. Once she was fully recovered and back at work, we concentrated on improving her fertility.

 

Phillippa’s story:

 

I came to Rita with a number of health problems that had culminated in severe anxiety. It took everything I had to attend that first consultation, but it was the best thing I ever did. This was the first time I’d experienced clinical anxiety and I was really scared of it.

 

Having acupuncture treatment has made a complete difference. My anxiety has receded, and I am perhaps better than ever before. My thyroid hormone levels (which were a big driver behind fluctuating emotions) have remained in the normal range for nearly a year, with minimal drug intervention. 

 

What can I say about Rita? Whenever I visit, I feel her energy, her care and her genuine love for what she does. She’s become a master of her craft. But it’s everything she does on top of this that really makes her special. She gave me some great advice during my recovery and would always go beyond the call of duty. She became a friend and confidante to me, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.

 

My husband and I finally fell pregnant after several years of trying and Poppy was born in May 2020.

 

Phillippa, Crouch End

Acupuncture for Women

by  on  in Blog, Case Studies

Acupuncture is particularly well-suited to women’s healthcare. From fertility to endometriosis, emotional wellbeing to menopause, women require a holistic approach in managing key stages in their life.

Women’s lives have changed dramatically; we work longer hours, have children later, juggle home and work, and experience more stress than ever before. Our hormones play havoc with our mood and a greater percentage of women now experience anxiety. Being female brings its own challenges and medication isn’t a sustainable way to maintain our health or our peace of mind.

Women, generally, are more aware of their health, although men are slowly waking up to the fact that they need to take more care of themselves. Women are more likely to seek help, talk to a therapist or alter their diet to support their own wellbeing. They are also more likely to commit to ongoing treatment, and that’s really important in maintaining good health.

Female patients come to acupuncture because it works for so many of their health issues without treating them as separate individual problems. In Chinese medicine, we look at the whole person – as three-dimensional, multi-faceted individuals not simply a collection of random symptoms. In fact symptoms that appear random to a doctor and would be treated individually, often make total sense to an acupuncturist.  I’ve had patients referred from neurologists for migraine* and gynecologists for infertility* and menopause* as these conditions have been approved by NICE. *

Sometimes we are able to treat a patient so that the problem they present with completely disappears, and other times it’s a matter of treating patients so that their condition is managed without resorting to drugs. Often they remain on ‘maintenance’ coming once a month to stay well. That way we pick up problems before they get worse and nip them in the bud.

Kaylee came to me convinced that acupuncture would make no difference! But as she said ‘I’m desperate’.  I treated Kaylee predominantly with acupuncture and occasionally with TuiNa. But acupuncture has undoubtedly been the most effective for her. She now comes for treatment monthly to keep everything in balance.

Here‘s Kaylee’s story:

‘I was reluctant to try Acupuncture. I have a medical background and thought it was all a bit mind over matter “hocus pocus”, however, I was feeling that that the GP wasn’t really listening and couldn’t offer any medication or suggestions that worked without side effects. I had tried to manage my symptoms with exercise, healthy eating and herbal remedies but the added stress I was feeling from my work was making me very unwell. My colleagues said that acupuncture helped them and if anything I’d said I’d go so that I could say I tried it.

I have Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which was the main reason for most of my symptoms. I have suffered from the below since puberty;

Water retention, chronic period pain, bloating, constipation, irregular periods, fluctuating mood, poor digestion and just general fatigue. All symptoms fluctuated and were exacerbated by the consumption of food and my irregular period cycle. 

I had weak ankles and they became sore when I was running. I also had a back injury caused by my crossfit exercise class. It was painful to sit and tender to touch when went for my first treatment. My overall physical health contributed to general anxiety but I was under a lot of pressure at work and was unable to manage my stress levels. 

All of the above symptoms have reduced significantly. 

When I first started to go, following each session I would feel immediate benefits. I felt more relaxed, my ankles and fingers (water retention) felt less puffy and my digestion improved. 

The most significant change was my period pain. The pain used to be so bad that I would have to dose myself with a concoction of 3 types of strong painkillers every 4 hours for 2 – 3 days. They made me drowsy but if the pain started at work I would not be able to make it home because the pain was immobilising. Now I take a maximum of 6 mild painkillers over 2 days. Close friends and family started commenting how much more relaxed I was. 

For a non-believer this has been a humbling experience. I think that this on–going treatment has helped me physically and mentally.

Rita is kind, she listens and she understands. I’d definitely recommend her.’

*https://www.nice.org.uk