Acupuncture for Fertility & IUI/IVF Support
We support fertility patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies including ovulation induction, IUI, IVF/ICSI, etc. We have helped patients who are not good responders to clomid/letrozole or gonadotropin injections during the stim-phase of the IVF cycle.
We support patients through their 2ww. We journey with patients during the first trimester who have had a history of miscarriage in the first trimester. And of course, we work with couples who are TTC for the first time. At our clinic, we work with you whether you have decided to:
- Begin ovulation induction using clomid/letrozole,
- Employ IUI as a means to increase your chances, or
- Embark on an IVF journey with a medicated cycle.
There are so many ways we can support you through this journey, but it will be through a consultation to see what works best for you.
Pregnancy Support
This work often follows from prior work in fertility. Amongst other things, we work with
- Threatened miscarriages, prior miscarriages
- Morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum
- Pregnancy itch (PUPPP)
- Pregnancy edema
- Pregnancy sciatica, pelvic girdle pain (PGP), symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD)
- Breech presentation
- Preparation for birth, late-for-dates
using a mixture of interventions that may include: acupuncture, moxibustion, craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, lymphatic drainage, herbs and supplements.
Women's Health
In addition to supporting women through their fertility journey, we at Soma Clinic also treat other issues women might face from the day they begin menarche to time of menopause. We treat the following:
- Short/delayed menstrual cycle, amenorrhea (often related to PCO)
- Abnormal menstrual bleeds, midcycle bleeding, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, menometrorrhagia
- Painful menses, endometriosis, fibroids
- Perimenopause, hot flushes, insomnia, irritability
- Genital herpes
Treatment often takes into account whatever interventions you have already tried. We will be using Chinese herbs to treat most of the conditions mentioned above.
Post-partum Support
Postpartum conditions may come alone or may come all at the same time.
- Post-delivery uterine, bladder and/or rectal prolapse
- Post partum depression, tired but wired
- C-section paresthesia
- Hypogalactorrhea (insufficient breast milk)
- Edema in the limbs
- Mother postural syndrome (neck pain, caved-in shoulders, lower back pain, asymmetrical hip hike)
- Wrist pain, De Quevain's tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome
Depending on the condition, treatments may include a mix of soft-tissue work, lymphatic drainage as well as acupuncture and herbs. We also provide advice and support of ladies undergoing post-natal confinement.
Conditions of Atopy (Respiratory System)
Atopy is the tendency to produce an exaggerated immunoglobulin E (IgE) immune response to otherwise harmless substances in the environment. Allergic conditions that manifest in the respiratory system include:
- Rhinitis (drippy noses, constant sneezing, tearing)
- Sinusitis
- Post-nasal drip and cough
- Asthmatic bronchitis
We treat such conditions at Soma Clinic using a mix of acupuncture and herbs to bring down inflammation, balance out the body's immune response and down-regulate the intensity of any excessive cytokine response. Of course, a very important intervention would be management of environmental and food triggers.
Skin Conditions (TSW, Eczema, Psoriasis)
Patients come in to treat a range of skin conditions including pompholyx/dishidrotic eczema, stasis eczema, asteototic eczema, prurigo, herpes simplex, lichen simplex and lichen planus, We also treat children for eczema and atopic dermatitis.
Our clinic has been seeing Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) patients looking for an alternative to steroid treatment since 2014. We provide treatments using acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Response to our unique treatments vary but for the good responders, the recovery is more than satisfactory.
We use Chinese herbs to treat plaque psoriasis and guttate psoriasis with good results. Of course, patients specifically come in to treat skin conditions plaguing the face and head: these include seborrheic dermatitis, peri-oral dermatitis, rosacea, facial eczema and acne.
The Gut (Leaky Gut, Gastritis, GERD, SIBO, IBS, IBD)
Many of the patients coming into Soma Clinic are aware of the importance of gut health, and already come with prescriptions and protocols from their functional medicine doctors, naturopaths or nutritionists.
At our clinic, we work with you wherever you are in your journey. Acupuncture, visceral manipulation and herbs are very helpful for gastritis, GERD and SIBO. With many of these conditions, there is often a stress event or a stressful phase in the patient's life that precipitated the illness.
The same is true with IBS and IBD, hence we often also work with the nervous system to treat these conditions.
Autoimmunity (ITP, Hashimoto's, Sjogren's, IC, etc)
Many of these conditions of systemic inflammation can be seen as the body experiencing a situation of overwhelm. We have seen good results with the patients using herbal therapies while making changes in their life to lighten their stress load. Some prefer to also receive acupuncture or other treatments that help to downregulate a nervous system on overdrive.
Pain Management & Post-Injury/Post-Op Rehab
The approach to pain management depends on your pain condition and how you want to work with us to treat it. We will work with your soft tissue and joints, and include some measure of proprioception, strengthening and conditioning.
Depending on your needs, the combined knowledge of more than one modality can be at your disposal. Our physiotherapists are equipped with rehab and physical training expertise to bring you from pain to recovery. Our acupuncturists are able to work in tandem with your physiotherapist to expedite the recovery process.
Chronic Pain / Psychosomatic Pain
When a pain condition becomes chronic, the bio-medical singular hunt for relief may not address root cause. In fact, often the pain-state is multi-faceted in nature (bio-psycho-social). It may be affected by onset experience, complex conditioning, personal pain perspective, baseline resilience and ratio of pain to pleasure input. Pain is complex and ever-changing, and therefore may be best treated within a broader context and integrated treatment regime.
At Soma Clinic, we treat such presentations using a mix of acupuncture and Chinese herbs.