The Pelvic Floor Is in Our Scope (Pt. 1)

This article passionately argues that treating pelvic floor dysfunction is not only within the scope of practice for acupuncturists but is also deeply rooted in the classical foundations of the medicine. The author contends that practitioners often refer out for issues like incontinence, pelvic pain, or urgency, not because the tools are lacking, but because their role in this area has not been explicitly claimed. The text provides evidence from classical Chinese medicine, highlighting the numerous acupuncture channels—including the Conception, Governing, Kidney, and Liver channels—that traverse the pelvis. It focuses on two key points, CV 1 (Hui Yin) and GV 1 (Chang Qiang), located directly in the pelvic floor, whose classical indications cover a wide range of pelvic health conditions like prolapse, dysmenorrhea, and urinary retention. The author points out that these points have been used for thousands of years, long before the advent of modern pelvic floor physical therapy. With a significant portion of the population suffering from pelvic pain and dysfunction, often undiagnosed, acupuncturists are uniquely positioned to provide much-needed relief to this underserved population, who are often already in their clinics for other complaints.