By Kathleen Rushall

After graduating with his Master's of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine from San Diego's Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Marc Sklar was on the path to becoming an acupuncturist with a specialty in reproductive health. Marc took that goal a step further and created his own business, The Reproductive Wellness Clinic. With the co-founder, Gerald Williams, Marc has created a beautiful and successful practice located in Mission Valley, San Diego.

While Marc always had an interest in natural reproductive medicine, his career path was cemented when he helped his sister and her husband to conceive. After the couple experienced fertility difficulties, Marc helped them to have two pairs of healthy twins with the use of natural remedies. Out of the 120 patients that attend the clinic per week, Marc explains that 50 percent of his patients are using Oriental medicine in conjunction with Western treatments, while the other 50 percent are solely focusing on natural medicine.

The treatments used at The Reproductive Wellness Clinic vary from nutritional guidance, herbal supplements, acupuncture, and massage therapy. The center even offers Yoga classes for pregnant women, as well as the services of a psychologist to help with any anxieties that may crop up during pregnancy. Marc makes it clear that the clinic serves not only men and women trying to have a baby, but also that treatments are geared to help women throughout a pregnancy, and even after - with some acupuncture treatments and nutritional advice available for breast feeding, healing, and getting back into shape.

Marc has helped create a clinic where every care has been taken to meet the patient's needs and to ensure comfort. Even the acupuncture beds in each treatment room inside of Reproductive Wellness are adjustable so that pregnant women can choose to lie down or sit. The design of the clinic demonstrates it's organic appeal with dominant greens and earth tones and soft, relaxing lighting in each room. When it comes to his patients, Marc says that their time is as important as his. "I compare managing patients in a clinic to waiting tables - you need to allot your time appropriately while making sure each patient gets the time needed individually. I like to be the one to first place the needles in, as well as remove them." Marc said. In short, he helps the Reproductive Wellness Clinic to run at maximum efficiency without sacrificing any focused attention and personal treatment for each patient.

The goal at Reproductive Wellness is to see each patient through conception, delivery, and even post partum or through a second conception. Covering all aspects of the pregnancy experience, the Clinic is happy to see patients through the full process of having a baby. Marc says that women typically visit the Clinic two or three times a week in their first and third trimesters, with the middle trimester being "a bit more of a lull." Frequent and consistent treatments are encouraged to reveal results. "Acupuncturists are afraid to ask to see a patient two or three times a week, but in China acupuncturists have been known to see a patient every day for up to 14 days - it's important to keep up the treatments." Marc advocates.

The Reproductive Wellness clinic not only treats women, but men as well. Often, acupuncture and nutritional changes can provide the desired fertility results in men with low sperm counts and other reproductive problems. Nor is the Clinic confined to just conception and pregnancy for women: any women's health issue can be brought to attention and helped with the streamlined and customized treatments created by Marc and his staff.

 

Kathleen Rushall works in the PR/Advertising department of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and is currently earning her master's in English.