Mercier Therapy: The All-Natural Fertility Treatment You Need to Know About
Fertility can be a really tough and emotionally-charged conversation. I’ve walked through my own fertility struggles and I’ve had the honor of walking through similar struggles with a lot of other women.
I didn’t set out to specialize in pelvic floor much less fertility wellness when I became a physical therapist. But as I was going through my own journey with fertility, I did what a lot of women do and started to research like crazy. My education and professional training told me that there were things I could do for and with my body that just might help increase success, but I didn’t know specifics yet.
Then, I found Mercier Therapy. For me, Mercier Therapy made so much sense! When I discovered it, I was immediately captured by how well researched it was, the positive statistics attached to it, and the fact that it was completely natural.
Disclaimer: I am not at all against medicine or medicinal interventions when it comes to fertility (or anything else!) I just know that there are other things we can do to optimize our bodies and train them to do what we want them to do!
What is Mercier Therapy?
Mercier therapy is a model of treatment that involves “deep pelvic visceral manipulation protocol” that brings about “better organ mobility and restore[s] overall blood flow so that optimal pelvic organ function can return,” according to merciertherapy.com.
It was created by Dr. Jennifer Mercier, ND, PhD in 2005 and has been extensively studied and practiced since.
In short, Mercier Therapy helps mobilize your reproductive organs. If your shoulder isn’t functioning correctly, we do physical therapy to increase its mobility. It’s the same for the organs in your pelvic floor!
This therapy can be used on its own as a fertility-optimization treatment, or you can use it in conjunction with IUI or IVF to help increase your chances of success.
What does Mercier Therapy Treatment Look Like?
Mercier Therapy is a fairly regimented 6-week program that you complete with a trained and certified Mercier Therapist (like me!)
Your treatment plan is tailored to your unique body and situation. During your very first appointment, we will go through your medical history, current symptoms, and talk about your fertility wellness experiences so far. We can even do bloodwork to get a deeper understanding of exactly what is happening in your body.
From there, we make a 6-week plan that could include some or all of the following…
Regular deep-organ massage
Pelvic floor physical therapy
Lifestyle changes
Diet/nutrition adjustments
Menstrual cycle tracking
Exercise and mobility practices
What results can you expect from Mercier Therapy?
Current research is incredibly encouraging when it comes to Mercier Therapy. Where IUI and IVF have a 20-35% success rate after the first transfer, Mercier Therapy has approximately an 83% success rate of conceiving in the first year!
As with any medical treatment, results are never guaranteed. Fertility is an extremely complicated thing and can change from one person to another.
Don’t worry, I’m here for the long haul. Throughout treatment, we will do our best to get to the root of your fertility issues. I’ll work with every tool in my toolkit to guide you and your body to fertility success.
If you’re interested in talking more about Mercier Therapy and whether or not it’s for you, I’d love to set up a phone call! If you’re in the Kansas City area, call or text me at 620-960-6535. Or, fill out my contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.