Christine Friel specializes in oriental reproductive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABORM (American Board of Reproductive Medicine). Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are very successful in treating gynecological conditions including Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), irregular menstruation, fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, infertility and menopause. Chinese medicine has long recognized that health and vitality can be sustained over a woman’s lifetime by restoring balance within the body and supporting the natural production of essential hormones. We will work to tailor an effective treatment plan that will address your health concerns, optimize your wellbeing and provide you with empowering self care tools.
Fertility
Double Happiness Health offers support and treatment for couples who find themselves having difficulties getting pregnant. We understand how challenging and confusing it can be to struggle with fertility when you’re ready to start a family.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help optimize your fertility during the critical 3-6 months before conception, as well as provide support during natural cycles or with ART (assisted reproductive techniques). At Double Happiness Health, we customize our care for each patient based on our in-depth assessment and your individual diagnosis, whether it is diminished ovarian reserve, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, fibroids or auto-immune issues. We provide acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional counseling, Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage, as well as meditative techniques to help optimize your fertility, boost your overall well-being and reduce stress during your journey toward becoming a parent.
If you are using Assisted Reproductive Techniques such as IUI or IVF, we can work closely with your doctor to be sure you get the best care. We provide onsite pre- and post- embryo transfer acupuncture. We also strongly encourage the male partner to come for treatment, since in over 40% of infertility cases there is male factor infertility.
Traditional Chinese Medicine can help with the following:
- Increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, improving uterine lining and egg quality
- Regulate the Hypothalamus-Pituitary and Ovarian axis to optimize menstruation and ovulation.
- Help with implantation by reducing uterine spasms.
- Relieve stress, and decrease the body’s stress response.
- Reduce inflammation that may impede fertility.
- Regulate the immune system, which can influence fertility.
- Improve male factor issues such as sperm count, motility and quality.
Pregnancy
We joyfully provide pre- and post-natal support.We can also help you on your journey once you are pregnant, eliminating pregnancy nausea and heartburn, headaches, sciatica and other musculoskeletal conditions, and hemorrhoids. We can provide help with breech presentation and labor induction when and if needed.
Acupuncture is great for post-partum care as well, effectively addressing depression or anxiety, mastitis, insufficient lactation or night sweats. We can provide or teach your partner to do a lovely post-natal tonification treatment called “Mother Warming,” which uses moxibustion in the first week following childbirth to energize new moms and aid in their recovery.
Perimenopause and Menopause
Chinese medicine sees the transition into menopause as a natural and positive part of a woman’s life. Called the “second spring,” it is viewed as a time when the energy that has gone toward reproduction can now be redirected toward creative and spiritual pursuits. This time can be accompanied by several challenging symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, mood swings, sleep disorders, decreased libido, dryness, irregular menstrual bleeding, fuzzy thinking, digestive complaints and more. We do not see these symptoms as inevitable, but as signs of imbalance.
Your basic health before and during perimenopause has an influence on the severity of your symptoms. Overworking, inflammatory diet, lifestyle, stress and exposure to environmental toxins play a role in aggravating these symptoms. We will work to tailor an effective treatment plan that will address your health concerns, optimize your well-being and provide you with self care tools that empower you.
Many women are concerned about the risk factors involved with HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Chinese medicine is an effective treatment for menopause and offers a natural, safe alternative to HRT for many of our patients.