Pelvic Care Blog
Our blog is dedicated to supporting acupuncturists who specialize or hope to specialize in pelvic health. We hope you enjoy our musings and offerings.
We've Been Needling the Pelvic Floor for Thousands of Years
We have been needling the pelvic floor for over two thousand years. So here is the question I want every acupuncturist reading this to sit with: why have we let the pelvic floor become someone else's medicine?
ViRGINIA PELVIC CARE PRACTICAL -MAY 2026
13 women showed up with open hearts, open minds and a desire to serve an underserved population. I'm still marveling at the revelations that manifested during this past weekend's training.
Ashi Points vs. Trigger Points: What Research Tells Us About Dry Needling
As acupuncturists, we have been navigating a quiet identity question for years. A growing number of physical therapists, chiropractors, and athletic trainers are inserting filiform needles into muscle tissue and calling it dry needling. Patients are receiving the work. Insurance is increasingly covering it. And our profession has been left to ask whether what they are doing is, in fact, our medicine practiced under a different name.
The Sinews & The Pelvis -Webinar
Pelvic health is an area of growing clinical interest for acupuncturists, yet it is often underrepresented in formal training. The Sinews & the Pelvis is a specialized continuing education course designed for licensed acupuncturists seeking to expand their clinical understanding of pelvic health through the framework of the Jing Jin (sinew channels).
This live webinar will take place on January 28th at 12:00 PM EST and offers an integrative, clinically relevant approach that bridges classical Chinese medicine theory, modern anatomical concepts, and evidence‑informed manual and needling techniques applicable to pelvic conditions.
Is Lumbosacral Electroacupuncture Effective for Stress Urinary Incontinence?
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common and often under-discussed condition that can greatly impact quality of life. As a pelvic health and women’s health specialist, I’m always interested in research that explores evidence-based, non-invasive approaches to support those experiencing SUI. Two studies—Xu et al. (2016) and Liu et al. (2017)—investigated the effectiveness of lumbosacral electroacupuncture (EA) for the treatment of SUI. Here’s a look at what they found and how it may apply in clinical practice.
8 Reasons Acupuncturists should take a Pelvic Health Continuing Education Course
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or Professional Development Activities (PDAs) in pelvic health can offer acupuncturists specialized knowledge and skills to enhance their practice.
9 Things to Consider when selecting a Pelvic Care CEU / PDA Class
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:
Clearing Blocks in Acupuncture
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.
Connection between the Low Back and the Pelvic Floor
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:
Published Research on Acupuncture and Pelvic Pain
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:
Safety Concerns when Needling the Pelvis
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..
What is Pelvic Floor Dry Needling?
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.
Common Pelvic Health Disorders in Women
Women can experience a range of pelvic health disorders that may affect various aspects of their reproductive, urinary, bowel and gastrointestinal systems.
Common Pelvic Health Disorders in Men
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.
Pelvic Health as a Source of Profit in Your Acupuncture Practice!
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.
Increase Quality of Life with Pelvic Care Acupuncture
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….
10 Signs Your Client Needs Pelvic Care Acupuncture
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.