Dr. Krystal joined the American Acupuncture Council for another exciting episode of TO THE POINT as guest host! She presented: Pelvic Floor and Fertility

“The Pelvic Acu Announces Comprehensive Training Program to Revolutionize Pelvic Health in Acupuncture…. The Pelvic Acu launches specialized courses for acupuncturists, equipping practitioners with holistic approaches to address pelvic health challenges and improve quality of life.” -Digital Journal Dec 2024

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or Professional Development Activities (PDAs) in pelvic health can offer acupuncturists specialized knowledge and skills to enhance their practice.

Pelvic Care for Acupuncturists is super specialized and if it’s piqued your interest, it’s important to choose the right course system for your needs. This endeavor will likely require an investment of both time and money. Here are ten things to consider when selecting a pelvic health class:

Clients who are curious about the pelvic floor and associated dysfunctions as well as those who present with pelvic floor patterns can really benefit from a little bit of understanding and some education. Clients who understand their pelvic floor function have a much greater opportunity to participate in the healing and leaning into the support you’re offering. 

You may have heard of your acupuncturist say something like, “Before we work on your pelvic floor, we need to check for and clear any blocks.” Blocks are essentially barriers to the treatment being effective and holding from one session to the next or long term. Blocks can be diagnosed through the pulses, through your energy or even through the eyes. Blocks can also be physical symptoms like pain.

The low back can have indirect effects on the pelvic floor due to the anatomical and functional connections between these areas. The low back (lumbar region) and pelvic floor are part of the same musculoskeletal and neuromuscular system, and alterations in one region can influence the other. Here’s why Trigger Point Needling (Dry Needling or Ashi Point Needling) of the back impacts the Pelvic Floor:

Research on acupuncture for pelvic pain, particularly related to conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and chronic pelvic pain syndrome, has gained interest in recent years. Here are some notable studies:

Needling the pelvis, especially in the context of pelvic health interventions such as trigger point needling, dry needling or Ashi point needling, requires careful attention to safety considerations. Safety concerns associated with needling the pelvis are..

Pelvic floor dry needling is a therapeutic technique that involves the insertion of acupuncture needles which are sterile, thin, solid needles into specific points in the pelvic region. These points are usually Ashi (tender points or trigger points. “Ashi point” needling is acupuncture trigger point needling, and this is described in Chinese medical texts dating from 200 BCE – 200 CE. Insertion of needles into Ashi points can alleviate pain, improve muscle function, and address various pelvic health issues.

While pelvic health concerns are often associated with women, men can also experience a variety of pelvic health dysfunctions. These issues may involve the pelvic floor muscles, reproductive organs, and urinary or gastrointestinal systems. As with women, quality of life for men can be seriously impacted. For some men, pelvic health dysfunction may be a highly emotional topic and one that is very challenging to talk about. Addressing the issues can be life changing.

If you’re like most acupuncturists, you hate when marketing specialists say ‘you have to niche your practice’. You probably don’t want to treat only one type of client. You don’t want to lose the clients you already have. And if you’re like me, you definitely don’t want to exclude certain populations.

Pelvic care can be seriously transformative for your life! Pelvic pain and dysfunction very often don’t get better on their own. They require intervention. Here are some of the things that can change once you start a Pelvic Care regiment with your acupuncturist….

As acupuncturists, we are amazing at distilling symptoms into a diagnosis. Pelvic Health is an area we can provide really nutritive support if we can recognize the signs that there might be an issue. Here are my top 10 signs and symptoms and how to investigate them.

If you’d had acupuncture before, you might know that acupuncturists are often really good at moving the needle (pun intended) where other more traditional methods have failed. That’s because our outlook on the body is a little bit different than other healthcare practitioners. We see the body’s energetics, emotions and physicality. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the pelvis houses vital organs and plays a significant role in the body's overall balance and Qi flow. The TCM perspective on the pelvis is deeply rooted in the principles of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the flow of Qi through the meridians of the body.

If you’re experiencing urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, prolapse or any other condition of the pelvic floor, you don’t need a research study to tell you that your life is impacted by your symptoms. But there’s some good news! Your acupuncturist might have the keys to help you!

If you’re looking for pelvic care support, you’re probably feeling pretty vulnerable. Finding the right pelvic care acupuncturist is important to begin this healing journey. The person you work with has to be someone who you feel comfortable with AND knows what they’re doing!

You might have heard of Kegel exercises for your pelvic floor. You might have even heard of PT’s that work with the pelvic floor, but did you know that acupuncturists can support your pelvic health?

Long before becoming an acupuncturist, I became a PT and over time came to specialize in Pelvic Health, specifically dry needling of the pelvic floor and surrounding structures. I became an acupuncturist to go deeper into the spirit of the points and gain deep understanding of the organ system energetics. I fell in love with the impact a needle can make on a physical, emotional or energetic level.