Tradition Meets the Cutting Edge
Do not be fooled by those who try to pit Eastern and Western medicine against each other, or worse, dismiss one method altogether. Today’s patient seeks to mine the world’s collective knowledge to achieve good health. This concept is illustrated in no better place than in the arena of reproductive healthcare. At Moss Acupuncture, I will work to integrate the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with your doctor’s Assisted Reproductive Therapies (ART). Together, we will work towards your goal: a healthy pregnancy and birth.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine is the formal term for the combined therapies of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Moxibustion and other healing modalities. TCM theory achieves good health by balancing energies in the body using these several methods. The theory has evolved over thousands of years and is safe and highly effective. TCM uses a "holistic" approach, meaning it treats any individual problem by treating the whole body at the same time. A patient can expect TCM to provide benefits for virtually any illness, and fertility is no exception.

Benefits of TCM during ART
Your acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments work to bring your body back to its optimum balance and ready for conception.  Typical changes you may sense quickly include: reduction in the stresses that interfere with ovulation, regulation of menses, and a general feeling of good health. 
More subtle changes may eventually include a normalization of the hormones that regulate ovulation and allow an egg to be released, an increase in uterine blood flow improving chances of a fertilized egg implanting, or an improvement in ovulation cycles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, to name a few. 
All together, TCM will work to get your body in a healthier and more balanced state which will better lend itself to conception throughout your other Assisted Reproductive Therapies.

In Vitro Fertilitzation (IVF)
One of the most common forms of Assisted Reproductive Therapies is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). During the course of an IVF treatment, the ovaries are stimulated with medication to produce multiple eggs. Those eggs are then retrieved from the body, fertilized with healthy sperm, allowed to develop into a viable embryo, and then transfered back into the uterus.

Patients can prepare for this process by optimizing their reproductive health using general principles of TCM. TCM can regulate hormones and lower elevated FSH levels, increase ovarian function and the quality of eggs produced, reduce the side effects of hormone treatments, and increase blood flow to the endometrial lining and thereby enhance the chances of a successful implantation.

Acupuncture with IVF Success Story:
"I can't recommend Jennifer Moss highly enough.  I first contacted Jennifer when my husband and I were about to undergo our first IVF cycle after nearly three years of trying to conceive.

Jennifer was gentle and kind.  She explained the benefits of acupuncture and more importantly than anything else, she listened.  She always went the extra mile, and that meant so much at a time when our stress levels were sky high.

When I miscarried my first IVF pregnancy Jennifer was wonderfully supportive.  This was the time when I really felt the acupuncture came into its own.  In a world where I felt frighteningly out of control, my appointments with Jennifer allowed me some peaceful time -time where the endless tirade of appointments, procedures, injections and meds were put aside,  and I had a moment to focus inward.  Somehow (and I'll leave Jennifer to explain how!) I always came away feeling rested, recharged and more able to cope with whatever came next.

Now we are the very proud, very lucky, parents of a beautiful baby boy, and I have no doubt that in many, many ways Jennifer played a part in his coming.

Infertility is a journey, and Jennifer was on our journey with us every step of the way - we can't imagine a better travel companion..."

Pre-/Post- Transfer Treatments
One of the most important implementations of TCM during an IVF treatment is what is commonly referred to as Pre- and Post- Transfer Treatments. The chances of conception increase when reproductive-specific Acupuncture is administered prior to and shortly after the embryo is transfered to the uterus during an IVF treatment. Post-transfer treatments can be done even the following day. A recent German study showed that conception rates increased to 51% when acupuncture is administered before and after transfers, as compared to only 36% when transfers are done without acupuncture. Given the financial and emotional investment of an IVF treatment, you owe it to yourself to explore this option before your next transfer.

Individualized Treatment Plan
You are an individual. No person’s imbalances are identical to those of anyone else.  Using TCM diagnosis, I will determine your body’s current imbalance at your first visit.  This will include looking for certain physiological changes on your tongue, taking your pulse, learning your complete health history, and asking many questions about your body and habits.  Once your imbalance is determined, I will proceed with a treatment of acupuncture and Chinese herbs tailor-made for your body.  If it appears your diet, exercise habits, and lifestyle are contributing to your imbalance also, I will make relevant suggestions there as well. 

Jennifer Moss, MS, L.Ac.
Jennifer Moss is a graduate of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and maintains her private practice in San Francisco, California. She is currently certified to practice Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology both nationally and by the State of California. Jennifer is a professional member of the national infertility organization, RESOLVE, and the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM). She has had advanced training and specialized education in treating infertility and obstetrics with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Jennifer currently treats patients who are undergoing IVF treatments at fertility clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationwide.

Research
For further research on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fertility, and Alternative Reproductive Therapies, please see:

Paulus W. et Al., Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproductive therapy. Fertility and Sterility, volume 77, April 2002, (721-724)

Stener-Victorin, E. et Al., Reduction of blood flow impedence in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture. Human Reproduction Journal, Volume 11, Number 6, 1996.

Westergaard LG, Mao Q, Krogslund M, Sandrini S, Lenz S, Grinsted J. Acupuncture on the date of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial. Fertil Steril 2006;85: 1341-6.

Dieterle S, Gao Ying, Hatzmann W., Neuer A. Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study. Fertil Steril 2006;85: 1347-51.

Downloads
To download my brochure on TCM for Fertility and IVF in San Francisco CLICK HERE.


More Success Stories
For More San Francisco Bay Area Success Stories about Acupuncture and IVF CLICK HERE.