Here at Tranquility Base Acupuncture, transgender and gender-fluid patients are welcomed, celebrated, and supported.

In Chinese medical philosophy, gender is a dance of Yin and Yang, and the balance is unique in every person. We call this a dance because this balance is based on a complex spectrum, with different rhythms. It is always changing and always evolving.

How Can Acupuncture Help?

Acupuncture services for transgender health and wellness can help support you in various stages of your identity journey, whether you decide to pursue a medical transition or not. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help support:

• Emotional wellness in any stage of the process

• Reducing side effects of hormone therapy, such as mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, weight changes, and headaches or migraines

• Recovery from gender-affirming surgery

• Pre-surgical preparation and care:

  • Improve blood circulation and boost Qi and Blood to improve surgical outcome and recovery

  • Reduce stress and anxiety

• Post-surgical recovery

  • Reduce pain, reduce dependency on painkillers

  • Soften scar tissue, reduce scarring

  • Improve circulation, speed up recovery

  • Balance hormonal symptoms pre- and post-surgery

  • Strengthen pelvic floor muscles after bottom surgery

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help you start a family, no matter your gender identity.

For People with OVARIES:

• Support emotional wellness and balance side effects from discontinuation of testosterone medication

• Promote ovulation and regulate menstrual cycles

• Balance uncomfortable side effects of fertility drugs (if needed), including the rollercoaster of physical and emotional changes which tend to hit transgender men harder than cis-women.

• IUI/IVF collaboration: From a allopathic medical standpoint, the protocols and procedures would be the same for cis-women and transgender men, but the side effects vary from person to person. Please visit the fertility page for more information.

For People with TESTES:

You may consider freezing your sperm before the gender affirming transition process begins, as hormone therapy and surgery can have permanent affects on your fertility. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can improve sperm quality, whether it’s for sperm freezing or for insemination in IVF/IUI.