Women's and Reproductive Health
Fertility
For individuals and couples navigating the often challenging journey of fertility, Dr. Portalla can offer a valuable source of support. She'll work with you to address aspects that may influence your ability to conceive. This can involve helping to regulate the menstrual cycle, encouraging healthy blood flow to reproductive organs, and gently easing stress and anxiety – all important for creating optimal conditions for conception. Furthermore, acupuncture may contribute to the quality of eggs and sperm, enhance your body's response to fertility treatments, and potentially minimize any associated side effects. Therefore, not only women, but also men can benefit from regular treatments as well. By considering your overall well-being, Dr. Portalla strives to empower you on your path to parenthood, whether you are pursuing natural conception or assisted reproductive technologies.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a transformative journey for your body, and it can be quite demanding. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, this is a unique opportunity to nurture both you and your growing baby. We understand that various challenges can emerge during pregnancy. Many of our patients find that consistent acupuncture treatments help them feel their best throughout this special time.We use safe and effective protocols to ensure you are supported with symptoms such as:
· Nausea · Fatigue · Anxiety · Constipation · Back & Neck Pain · Body Aches
Headaches · Breech presentation · Induction of labor
·And more...
Pre-Birth Support
Experience a more relaxed and comfortable birth. We combine gentle acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and moxibustion with mind-body techniques and lifestyle guidance. For optimal preparation, we schedule weekly sessions beginning at week 34, and twice-weekly sessions during weeks 39 and 40.
Postpartum
Following the birth of your baby/babies, the initial weeks—also known as the "golden month" or "fourth trimester"—represent a critical period for rest, healing, and connection. We are dedicated to supporting our patients during this time, providing a curated set of resources to promote well-being. These may encompass nutritional guidance and recipes, moxibustion therapy, and self-care practices designed to help you feel centered and nurtured throughout your golden month.
Menopause
Chinese Medicine sees menopause as a “second spring.” For women this is an opportunity for rebirth of and for herself.
At menopause, a new chapter of life can begin, filled with vitality, health, and inner peace. While traditional Western medicine views menopause as the end of reproductive years, it typically starts in the 40s with perimenopause - a natural transition where the ovaries gradually slow down egg production and estrogen levels decrease. Once a full year of amenorrhea (no periods) has passed, menopause is declared, marking the cessation of ovarian function and a significant drop in estrogen levels. As a result, the body adapts to using estrone, a different type of estrogen produced when the adrenals convert androgens to estrone in fatty tissue, and also release stress hormones like cortisol. When the body is balanced, this transition can be a smooth ride. However, prolonged stress, unhealthy habits, and underlying gut imbalances can disrupt sex and stress hormone balance, leading to a more challenging experience for some women.
Fortunately, Chinese medicine offers a holistic approach to address symptoms at their root cause, rather than just masking them. At Ancient Roots Acupuncture, we employ gentle acupuncture techniques, personalized nutrition and supplement plans, and lifestyle recommendations to help restore balance and promote optimal digestion, making menopause a time of renewal and empowerment.
Patients often seek treatment for the following symptoms:
Heavy menses · Hot flashes · Night sweats · Weight gain · Low libido · Vaginal dryness · Insomnia · Fatigue · Anxiety and palpitations
Irritability & rage · Urinary incontinence · Hair loss · Osteoporosis
Hormone Balancing and Menstruation
Chinese medicine views menstruation as a key marker of overall health. The menstrual cycle reflects a complex interplay between the brain, ovaries, adrenals, gut, and thyroid. When these systems work harmoniously, a woman experiences optimal well-being and a regular menstrual cycle. Ideally, menstruation is predictable each month, with a consistent, moderate flow that gradually decreases, and is free of clots and pain. Unfortunately, many women experience menstrual irregularities such as mood swings, unpredictable or painful periods, spotting, and chronic migraines, often dismissing these as normal.
At Ancient Roots, we can work together to establish a new normal with you. We start with a complete health history and then create a customized treatment plan for each patient that may include gentle acupuncture, nutrition, herbal prescription, supplement and mind, body and lifestyle tools to bring you and your hormones into balance.
Patients often seek treatment for the following symptoms:
Post birth control syndrome · Irregular menstruation · Heavy periods · Light periods · Dysmenorrhea (Painful Period)
Amenorrhea (Absence of Period) · PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) · PMS, PMDD · Migraines
Chronic vaginitis · Chronic yeast infections · Chronic UTI · Interstitial Cystitis
