Meet the Expert: Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 2 of 2

In Part 1 of Meet the Expert - Traditional Chinese Medicine, we introduced

Katrina Dollano, BHSC, R.TCMP, R.AC, co-founder and clinical director of

We touched on what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is, why someone may seek TCM care, how acupuncture works and why TCM acupuncture is different from other forms of acupuncture and what a typical session looks like at What's Good Wellness.

In Part 2 of this series, Katrina discusses what drove her special interest in women's health, fertility, how children can benefit from TCM and acupuncture, types of nutritional therapy and an inspiring fertility success story. Also, hear from Katrina herself by checking out her video included in this blog!

What Drove Your Special Interest in Women's Health and Fertility?

I love my ladies! I have seen time and again, women accept various symptoms as being "normal". Symptoms like PMS (irritability, depression cramping, breast tenderness that occur before their period), menstrual cramps, heavy periods, hot flashes, night sweating and sleep disturbances, which are very common, but certainly aren't "normal".

I've also witnessed women putting themselves last. I want to help women realize that they can't fill from an empty cup. Fixing these issues is more simple than many people realize. Fertility is another area of special interest. I love being able to help people bring new life into this world. It's among the most fulfilling things that I've participated in.

Can Children Benefit from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture?

Yes! Typically, I prescribe herbal medicine for children. It is astonishing how quickly children can heal without needing medications. For example, my son has never taken antibiotics and he's four! It's practically unheard of, and our doctor is pretty impressed.

With children and adults alike, the goal is always to find the root cause and address it naturally, then teach lifestyle tips to prevent it from happening again.

Why Do You Include Nutrition in Your Clinic? What Kinds of Nutritional Therapy Do You Offer?

We include nutrition in our clinic because food is medicine. It is the easiest thing we can control that will either add to or take away from our health. When we learn to eat nutritiously and how to make these foods deliciously, then cooking becomes the art form it was always meant to be.

My husband Charleston runs our Eatery, where he prepares the food that I recommend and prescribe for our patients. Our eatery serves lunch and sells take out foods such as our vegan kimchi, vegan coconut yogurt, vegan seed bread, bone broth and vegan bone broth (that's just the name, it's not made from bones, but from mushrooms and medicinal herbs). Aligning the way you eat with your health goals is what contributes to long term success and longevity.

A Success Story! Fertility after IUI and IVF

I have lots of great success stories to share! A more recent one comes from one of our fertility patients. At age 40, she had been trying to have a baby for almost seven years. She had been with several fertility clinics and had been unsuccessful with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and three rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycles. In each of her cycles, she was only able to get at most, three fertilized embryos. Unfortunately after the transfer, she wasn't able to get pregnant.

Before starting her fourth round of IVF, she and her husband decided to come see me. If this round wasn't successful, they were going to give up on their dream of having a baby this way, and explore other options.

With acupuncture, herbal medicine specifically tailored for her body and the phases of the menstrual cycle, targeted nutrition advice and supplements, they were able to retrieve eight eggs! Six of the eggs fertilized and grew to healthy embryos. She had them genetically tested and four were normal. They transferred one embryo just after Christmas and I'm happy to say that she's had a great pregnancy! They will be welcoming their daughter this August 2020 and they still have three more embryos in case they want to expand their family even more in the future. I am so happy for them!