Clearwater Acupuncture is Beneficial and Safe During Pregnancy

Dawn Potter Acupuncture in Clearwater, FL, treats a variety of conditions, including infertility. Many of her patients ask if they can continue acupuncture after they have successfully become pregnant, and the answer is yes! In fact, it is beneficial to do so; Acupuncture helps to increase circulation of fresh nutrients and oxygen to the growing fetus, and supports the mother’s health in many ways, including reducing nausea and vomiting, pain, fatigue, and other pregnancy-related symptoms.

You do, however, want to make sure that your acupuncturist is properly trained and licensed, because there are certain acupuncture points that are best avoided during pregnancy.

Studies on Pregnancy Acupuncture

There are many studies showing that acupuncture is beneficial for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. And a few cases have followed the moms afterward, to determine the impact of the acupuncture on the final pregnancy outcomes. For instance…

Pregnancy Outcome Following Women’s Participation In A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture to Treat Nausea and Vomiting in Early Pregnancy.

This study is the largest to date on the subject, and it involved almost 600 women who received acupuncture for their nausea and vomiting. The study compared 4 groups of women…those who had received regular acupuncture, formula acupuncture, “sham” acupuncture or no acupuncture at all.

The study concluded there were no differences between the 4 groups, in perinatal outcomes, including miscarriage, birth abnormalities, or complications during pregnancy. This lead the researchers to concluded that there are no serious negative effects from acupuncture administered during pregnancy.

For more information on the benefits of acupuncture on pregnancy, please visit this page.

Finding a Licensed Clearwater Acupuncturist

As mentioned previously, it is important to work with an experienced, trained and licensed pregnancy acupuncturist. If you are in Clearwater, Florida, Dawn Potter is Nationally Certified, State Licensed and has over 15 years experience with pregnancy acupuncture.

Schedule Pregnancy Acupuncture in Clearwater, Florida Today

Are you interested in acupuncture for pregnant women in Clearwater? Contact Dawn Potter Acupuncture today to schedule your appointment, we would be happy to help you!

Endometriosis Acupuncture – How Acupuncture Can Help

Endometriosis Acupuncture: Ancient Remedies for Modern Problems

Acupuncture has been used in most Asian countries for thousands of years to treat a variety of diseases and health issues. Thanks to travelers, this medical art form has been available to patients in the US for the past few decades. One area that acupuncture is very successful in treating is that of pain, including pelvic pain. A relatively common cause of pelvic pain in women is endometriosis, and endometriosis acupuncture is a very successful way to address the pain and inflammation that results from this condition.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease, where endometrial tissue forms outside of the uterine cavity, which bleeds and sheds monthly, just as the normal endometrial tissue does during the menstrual cycle. This causes high levels of inflammation, and over time, forms scar tissue and adhesions that can affect every organ in the abdomen and pelvis. Symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea (pain with menstruation), dyspareunia (pain with sex), pain with urination or defecation, and often even infertility. Some women with endometriosis experience debilitating daily pain which can make it difficult to live a normal, productive life. So, treatment is imperative. The problem is that many women go years without realizing that they have Endometriosis, thinking their symptoms are “normal.” Plus, even when a doctor suspects endometriosis, surgery is required to confirm the diagnosis.

Endometriosis Acupuncture Treatment:

The most common way allopathic physicians treat endometriosis is by giving prescription medications which manipulate the hormones. However, for a lot of patients, the side effects of these medications make them unbearable, plus the medications themselves don’t actually correct the disease itself. This is where Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are of great value. In fact, Oriental Medicine doesn’t require that you have surgery or definitive diagnosis of endometriosis in order to treat the issue; if you have the symptoms of pelvic pain, acupuncture can help.

One of the ways in which endometriosis acupuncture helps is by encouraging the nervous system to shift from the “fight or flight” mode to the “rest and digest” mode. This is the mode in which healing can occur. Also, the hormones of stress keep the body in a state of inflammation and dysfunction. Acupuncture also encourages the regulation of hormones and the reduction of inflammation, both of which are extremely useful when treating endometriosis.

As far as frequency of treatment, it will depend entirely on the patient’s needs. In Dawn’s practice, she typically sees endometriosis patients once per week for 8 to 12 weeks, or until the symptoms have significantly resolved. Then, the frequency of treatment is reduced to twice monthly, and eventually once monthly thereafter.

Begin to feel better now, with Endometriosis Acupuncture

Endometriosis is usually found in women between the ages of 25 and 40. In severe cases, patients experience extreme pain and fertility problems. Whether mild or severe, once you have been diagnosed with it, or suspect you have it, you can experience significant improvements with endometriosis acupuncture.

Dawn Potter Acupuncture can help:

The fact that Dawn suffered from endometriosis herself makes her unique among Acupuncture Physicians; she can bring a patient’s perspective to treatment. Also, she became very passionate about helping women overcome this disease naturally. She wrote her master’s thesis on the treatment of endometriosis from both an allopathic and an Oriental Medicine/Acupuncture perspective, and she has taken numerous continuing education classes on treating this condition successfully, to resolve pain and restore fertility.

This, coupled with the fact that Oriental medicine is far less costly than surgery and life long medications, without harmful side effects of hormonal manipulation, opting for endometriosis acupuncture is a great option.

Under the watchful eye and caring treatment of Dawn Potter, AP, Dipl.OM, you can once again reclaim your life and live pain-free. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consult to talk about how endometriosis acupuncture can help you. 727-475-4710, or click here to schedule online.

What to Expect After your First Acupuncture Visit

Most people find their first acupuncture treatment to be far more relaxing and calming than they ever expected. In fact, many patients fall asleep on the table with their needles in, or report having amazing sleep the night after their treatment.

It is important to be aware of how you are feeling after your first visit; including any changes in symptoms or conditions between treatments. Sometimes even small changes can be helpful in understanding how your body is responding to treatment, and how you will progress.

Sometimes you may experience sensitivity or even a small bruise at the needle insertion point. This is temporary and will resolve on its own. You may apply a cold compress if you wish.

On rare occasion, an existing condition may temporarily worsen before it gets better. This happens because the acupuncture needles work to move energy (Qi) in the energy channels (meridians). Sometimes that energy comes upon a blockage, and, like river water encountering a dam (your area of blockage/pain/discomfort), the water must build up before it can break through the dam. The pressure from the extra “water” (Qi) against the dam (blockage) can temporarily exacerbate an issue, but it is a positive indicator that the energy is moving. Soon, the pressure of the “water” breaks through the dam, and the river (energy) can move freely again, which causes a reduction or elimination of the pain/disease. If you experience this phenomenon, it should only last a few hours to a couple of days at most.

If you received herbs, please take them as directed. This will ensure the best possible results. If you have questions about how you are responding to the herbs, please call the office. The fibrous nature of some of the pills or tablets, can temporarily cause gas, bloating or changes in elimination in some sensitive individuals. You can reduce this effect by taking your herbs with food. If these symptoms last more than a couple of days, please call the office to discuss a change in dosage until your system is more used to them.

If you have any questions regarding your treatment, your herbs, or anything else related to your treatment, please call so that we may address your individual questions.

Dawn Potter, AP, Dipl.OM: 727-475-4710

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