Acupuncture Overview

Indeed!

I started acupuncture with two sessions during the second week of "stims" in January.  The first visit, I was nervous, but was pretty desperate for anything that might help...or even just take the edge off the stress I was feeling about the whole numbers game.  The RE sent me to Axelrad Clinic, which primarily deals with fertility related treatments.

The paperwork was long, and asked about all kinds of things from family history to current symptoms like bowel movement specifics.  Geez.  The office was small, but nice, and the acupuncturist led me into a room with a few folding chairs and something that looked like an ergonomically shaped, comfortably padded, leather massage table.  We talked for a while about my IVF protocol, my low ovarian reserve, how many follicles I currently had at that point in the "stims", and any symptoms I was having.  He asked about the other medicines / supplements I was taking and if I would be willing to add to that.  My RE said that anything the acupuncturist prescribes will be fine to take with the IVF medicines.  Circulation and egg quality were two big items that the supplements from the acupuncturist could help improve, making it easier for the medicines to get to my ovaries as well as improving the end-product.  Excellent!  I told him I would take whatever he recommended and he drew up a schedule that spread them out throughout the day for maximum effect.  As for the supplements, I bought and continue to buy them from the acupuncturist, but most of them can be found at your local pharmacies.

After our discussion, he asked me to remove my shoes, roll up my pant legs to the knees, and climb onto the table.  Once there, he started with some needles in my feet and legs.  I braced myself, but I could barely feel it.  What a relief!  Once he finished with the legs, he needed access to my lower abdomen.  I had lost count, but knew it was over a dozen needles at that point.  He explained that the needles are so fine that 100 of them can fit inside the opening of a 20 gauge IV needle.  Very tiny!

He put another set of them across my lower abdomen, on my face, and on my wrists and hands.  He then attached e-stim nodes to two needles each positioned over my ovaries.  He clicked it on and asked me to tell him when I could feel it.  I'd used one of these machines before with sick on patches when I had a sports injury.  It sends a small electrical current into your skin and helps enhance circulation in that area, only this time, instead of the stick-on patches, the current would travel through the fine acupuncture needles.  I felt the left side start to tingle, and he dialed the right side to match.

All the needles were in place!  A big fluffy blanket was laid over my legs...right on top of the needles, but that doesn't hurt at all, they simply bend down...and a heat lamp positioned over my stomach.  A CD player was switched on with a soundtrack of relaxing rainforest noises.  He said he would be back in 45 mins and to do my best to clear my mind and relax.

Lying there was a little strange at first, but in reality, this was the first time since starting the IVF protocol that I really concentrated on clearing my mind and relaxing.  I may have even dozed off for a short while.  Since then I have dozed of many times.  It's my weekly relaxation / nap time.  Leaving my treatments, I usually feel like a weight has been lifted and I'm more relaxed.  Whether that's the needles or just the quiet time or both, I'll take it.

The positions of the needles change around somewhat, depending on the symptoms I'm having that week.  There are different nerve trigger points that they target for different remedies.  When I had an awful string of headaches, they would place on on the top of my head, and it seemed to ease the throbbing.

Since that week in January, I have gone back for weekly appointments.  After the first appointment with Chris, the owner, I have seen Jaime for every appointment sense, and she is great.  I've also read a few articles about how acupuncture has been shown to improve the results of IVF cycles.  As we go into round #2, I can't help but hope that will will help our outcome, too.