FAQ

Specializing in treating women and the issues they face, allows us to do just that, specialize. Having an expertise allows one to be the leader in their field without the distraction of trying to understand thousands of other medical conditions for which someone might present. In western medicine when you have infertility or menstrual irregularities you see your gynecologist or your reproductive endocrinologist, not your family practitioner. That wouldn’t be any different in Chinese medicine, and allows you to receive the best care from the most knowledgeable practitioner.

We also treat men for reproductive issues given that at least 50% of fertility issues are due to male factor. We have advanced training in these issues and often prefer to treat the couple because it definitely takes two to conceive.

Rhythms has close working relationships with many local gynecologists and reproductive endocrinologists in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. With your approval, we frequently discuss your situation with your medical doctor to gain a better understanding of the issues you face. We also may accompany you on your visit to your medical doctor to provide support and open communication. We then collaborate on a treatment protocol that may be right for you and make recommendations as such.

Your individualized treatment plan is based on the assessment of your medical condition both from an eastern and western medical standpoint. We then utilize this information to develop a comprehensive treatment plan which may involve the use of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tuina, personal nutrition or lifestyle coaching. Your unique plan may involve all or only one of these depending on the nature of your medical condition.

Your first appointment will involve a complete assessment of your condition both in terms of eastern and western medicine. If you have a western diagnosis and/or diagnostic testing results, please provide those to us either before or at your first visit. This visit is approximately one and one half hours and will involve a full acupuncture treatment. Any paperwork you can provide prior to your appointment will ensure you receive a full session at this visit. Most patients say that the anxiety they may have felt about receiving acupuncture for the first time is soon dissipated and leave very relaxed. Please dress comfortably for this first visit and, although you don’t want to have a full stomach, you don’t want to arrive on an empty stomach either.

The most commonly held belief of acupuncture’s mechanism of action in the western medical community is that it stimulates the central nervous system (CNS). The insertion of acupuncture needles to stimulate the CNS actually results in electromagnetic signals and changes in brain chemistry. These physiological changes are being mapped in current research and have been shown to activate pain receptors, regulate hormones, decrease inflammation and activate the immune system.

Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have been shown to improve fertility and pregnancy rates in a number of ways including increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, regulating the hormonal system, increasing the thickness of the uterine lining, regulating the menstrual cycles, improving ovarian function, and relaxing uterine contractions post IVF/IUI transfers, as well as improving sperm count, motility and morphology.

While trying to conceive her own child, Katherine Alexander Anderson was amazed by the lack of public awareness about Chinese medicine and its ability to enhance fertility. Having worked in western medicine most of her career, even she was unaware of Chinese medicine, even though it had survived for thousands of years. Experiencing success with this medicine, she was convinced that other women would also want to know about it and began immersing herself in research. In her exploration, she uncovered that other women were also desperately seeking ways to enhance their fertility and overall health and were disillusioned with the purely western approach.

Determined to create a better way, Katherine began crafting her vision of an integrative health clinic long before entering Chinese medical school. It became her mission to become an expert in reproductive medicine and to help other women conceive their own children and to live healthier and happier lives. Continually researching, constantly inquiring, and persistently refining, Katherine founded Rhythms, her vision of an integrative women’s health center. Since that time, Rhythms has assisted thousands of women and men with their reproductive and health issues, and now sees the regular arrival of a Rhythms’ baby.