Helen Thompson Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine

22/02/2026

‘My identification as ADHD came about after my daughter was being assessed,” says Nessa Hill, a barrister, CEO of Neurodiversity Ireland, and mother of two neurodivergent little girls.

21/02/2026

The incidence of male infertility is increasing worldwide, and has become an important problem that plagues many married couples. Half of the infertility cases have induced by male infertility. Wuzi Yanzong Pill is a traditional Chinese herbal ...

21/02/2026

16/02/2026

15/02/2026

Mrs. R age 41yrs first attended my clinic approximately six months ago. She had experienced a miscarriage last summer at 6 weeks’ gestation. Following the miscarriage, her menstrual cycles did not resume and she remained amenorrhoeic for several months before seeking treatment.

Prior to Mrs. R's miscarriage, her cycle had been regular at 30 days. Her periods were heavy on the first day and tapered off by the second day.

At the initial consultation, Mrs. R presented as pale and anxious. She reported palpitations, insomnia, low mood, fatigue and abdominal bloating. Her diet was poor and she frequently skipped meals. On examination, her tongue was pale and her pulse was choppy.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, I diagnosed Mrs. R with a Heart and Spleen Blood deficiency. In Chinese Medicine, pallor is commonly associated with Blood deficiency, which may correspond clinically with anaemia or general undernourishment.
Adequate Blood is considered essential for nourishing the endometrium and creating a receptive environment for implantation. Blood deficiency may arise from insufficient dietary intake, poor digestion and assimilation, or a history of heavy menstrual bleeding.

Mrs. R commenced weekly acupuncture alongside a Chinese herbal formula to tonify the Spleen and nourish Blood. Dietary advice focused on regular, balanced meals with adequate plant and/or animal protein. I recommended iron-rich foods from both plant and animal sources, together with vitamin C to enhance absorption. She supplemented with a high-quality multi-vitamin, a Chinese herbal formula, high strength omega 3, wheatgrass, Floradix (iron with herbs) and L-carnitine.

I advised Mr. R age 45yrs to undergo a semen analysis and results later revealed low motility and poor morphology. I prescribed Mr. R Medicinal mushrooms, a tailored herbal kidney tonic and he began taking omega-3, a multivitamin, antioxidants, zinc and vitamin D3. He also attended my clinic for weekly acupuncture sessions. I recommended that after the 12 weeks of treatment Mr. R retest his semen.

After approximately five weeks of treatment, Mrs. R’s menstrual cycle returned. Over the following weeks she reported marked improvements in her anxiety, mood and energy levels. Once menstruation resumed, her sleep normalised and she no longer struggled to fall asleep.

Due to the distance, Mrs. R lives from the clinic (over 150 km) and with work commitments, she did not complete a full blood profile during treatment.

Six months after her cycle had re-established and stabilised, Mrs. R conceived naturally.

This wonderful lady received a positive pregnancy test two days ago and is scheduled to see her GP for assessment of progesterone, thyroid function and hCG levels. Acupuncture treatment will continue during the early stages of pregnancy to provide ongoing support.

This case highlights the importance of restoring menstrual function, addressing underlying deficiencies and supporting both partners in the management of subfertility.

11/01/2026

Still unsure about reproductive reflexology? You're not alone.

Many mums, and hopeful parents, come to us feeling sceptical. They’ve heard about reproductive reflexology through a friend, an article, or even a healthcare provider, but they’re not convinced it could really help.

And that’s okay. Scepticism is completely valid.

What most people don’t realise is that reproductive reflexology is far more than a relaxing foot treatment. Our trained practitioners are deeply knowledgeable in the complexities of both female and male reproductive health. They may suggest fertility-related tests, guide you in tracking your temperature, and support changes in lifestyle, nutrition and emotional wellbeing.

Because fertility is never just about one thing. It’s a whole-body, whole-couple journey.

We’ve supported people with PCOS, endometriosis, and those going through IVF or assisted conception. Some have been told they may never conceive, and yet they have gone on to have success stories of their own.

We see your frustration. We honour your sadness. And we’re here to support you with compassion, science-based care and hope.

Want to find someone who understands the full picture? You can connect with a local reproductive reflexologist via our website.

11/01/2026

I treated Mrs. G for breech presentation 6 days ago at 35 weeks gestation. The baby had been breech for the last 3 weeks and had been causing severe discomfort along with a disturbed sleep pattern.

By the time women present in my clinic with this complaint, they are usually at a crossroad. If their baby remains in breech position their freedom of choice around birthing options is dramatically reduced and the time to turn the baby naturally is fast running out.

Mrs. G was told by her Obstetrician that vaginal delivery was not an option. I applied Moxa (Chinese herb), externally over Mrs. G's little toe to turn the baby. I use this technique quiet often to re position breech presentation or transverse presentation.

Moxa is compressed and rolled into a cigar-shaped herbal stick which is then lit and held over acupuncture points. The radiant heat produced has the effect of stimulating the various points. Moxa also has a tonifying and warming effect which promotes movement and activity. This warming and raising effect is utilised to encourage the baby to become more active and lift it's bottom up in order to gain adequate momentum to summersault into the head down position.

Mrs. G text me two days ago just after her hospital appointment to say that the baby is head down! 🙏

11/01/2026

A compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been found effective at alleviating pain, pointing the way to a new nonaddictive analgesic for acute inflammatory and nerve pain, according to researchers.

07/01/2026

I first met Mrs. S aged 42yrs approx. 16 months ago. Mrs. S had presented with fertility issues.

She and her husband had been trying to conceive for over 9 years and had experienced three miscarriages. The first two miscarriages early at 8-9 weeks gestation, not long after they had heard and seen the first heartbeat of each pregnancy. The third miscarriage was at 24 weeks due to pre-eclampsia.

Mrs. S went on to do IVF some years later but unfortunately had 6 implantation failures with no successful outcome and had been advised by a fertility doctor to use donor eggs in the future via IVF.

Alarm bells were ringing in my head when I was listening to Mrs. S speak about her fertility journey and I made many notes and wrote a list of extensive blood tests for her to get done.

Apart from having what I suspected as immunological issues, Mrs. S had low progesterone when I met her and wasn’t ovulating. Her cycles were regular but the me**es only lasted 1-2 days. The blood was light red with small dark clots and she experienced no pain.
She complained of dry, scaly skin on her head. Her feet and hands were very cold to the touch. Her pulse was slow, tight and weak on both Kidney positions. Her tongue had a pale hue with a few purple spots on the sides.

It was fairly evident to me in Chinese Medicine that Mrs. S had empty cold in the uterus (small dark clots, pale purple tongue, tight slow pulse) with Kidney yang (cold hands and feet, scanty period, pale tongue, weak kidney pulse) and blood deficiency (scanty period, dry scaly scalp, pale tongue).

My main objective at the time was to rule out Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) which for me was critical. APS is the most common cause of recurrent miscarriage especially recurrent or later losses, and it can involve inflammatory cytokines including IL-6.
So, we ran a panel of bloods which took a few weeks for the results to come back.

To Mrs. S’s surprise, she tested positive for Antiphospholipid syndrome. APS makes the blood more likely to clot. During pregnancy, this causes small clots to form in the placenta and stops the placenta from developing properly. Because of this, the placenta does not get enough blood and oxygen. The stressed placenta then releases harmful substances into the mother’s blood, which damage the lining of her blood vessels. This damage can lead to high blood pressure and other features of pre-eclampsia.

Mrs. S also tested positive for Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (Hashimoto’s) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), NKcells and was Th1-dominant. Hashimoto’s, Lupus, elevated NKcells and Th1 immune response can impair implantation and can prevent a successful pregnancy outcome.

We were all so glad that we got some answers after all this couple had been through in the last decade, and we put a plan in place. Mr and Mrs. S really wanted to try have a baby naturally and were willing to do whatever it took for the next year. They both agreed that if it didn’t happen within the year, that they would embrace the donor option.

From a Chinese medicine’s perspective, Mrs. S’s cycles were short, and she had low progesterone and wasn’t ovulating, so my next action was to expel the cold from her uterus, nourish blood and raise Kidney yang.

I treated Mrs. S with Acupuncture and herbal medicine for 6 months. Mrs. S also took a course of medicinal mushrooms for a couple of months for her immune issues, and this reduced to a maintenance dose for the following few months.

During this time, her tongue became less purple and pale. Her cycles were bang on every 29 days and period was normal, bright red, a few clots and the duration of me**es had increased to 5 days and she was finally ovulating. After 4 months we pushed the acupuncture treatments out to every fortnight, and we worked closely with an amazing fertility specialist. Mrs. S was having regular scans and was also prescribed western medicine for her autoimmune conditions.

On the 7th month, Mrs. S conceived naturally. I will always remember that moment in clinic when she announced it. It was such an amazing teary moment for us all. Mrs. S had intravenous intralipids every few weeks for the first couple of months of her pregnancy with the fertility doctor. She also attended my clinic weekly for acupuncture treatments for the first few months to secure the pregnancy and every 3 weeks thereafter and her pregnancy went well.

She had a planned caesarean section at week 37 and gave birth to a beautiful girl on Christmas day 2025 weighing 2.9kilos.
For those that know me, know how much I am invested in each and every one of my patients and unfortunately there is no such thing as a 100% success rate, but I try every avenue to ensure my clients get the outcome they want.

I am extremely happy for this wonderful couple, and I can’t wait to meet their daughter in the next coming weeks. Welcome to the world baby S 🩷

29/12/2025

Mrs. M was 36yrs old when I met her at start of January 2025. She had been trying to conceive for 6 years and had five subsequent miscarriages at approx. 5-6 weeks gestation.

She had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and Endometriosis 8 years previously. Mrs. M was a complex case and presented with a multitude of symptoms on the day I met her.

Mrs. M’s menstrual cycles were regular and scanty. Her cervical mucous was minimal and for some months it was non-existent.
She experienced hypogastric pain at ovulation and the end of her cycle. She complained of severe headaches at time of her cycle, irritability as well as dizziness, fatigue, night sweats, a sore back, dry throat and a bitter taste in her mouth.

Mrs. M mentioned she was feeling very moody and was finding it hard to regulate her emotions. She was prone to getting a dull pain in her abdomen especially in the right hypogastrium. She experienced diarrhoea up to six times a day which consisted of a small amount of fresh red blood in it.
Stress seemed to aggravate her condition and applied pressure seemed to relieve it.

Mrs. M's GP had prescribed her prednisone 20mg daily to control her Crohn’s and she took prescription pain relief for her menstrual cycles.

Her tongue was red with little coating and had deep teeth marks and multiple fissures on the surface. Her pulse was deep and rapid.

I diagnosed Mrs. M with Liver Fire rising with Kidney Yin deficiency in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, the cause of Liver fire is mainly emotional. Common characteristics are inability to suppress anger, easy loss of temper, bitter taste in the mouth and severe headaches.

In TCM, Kidney Yin controls the production of cervical mucus and opening of the cervix during ovulation. Women with Kidney Yin deficiency may experience night sweats, hot flashes and have little or no midcycle cervical mucus.

We ran some immunology bloods on Mrs. M to rule out elevated cytokines and Natural Killer Cells (NK Cells). She also had an endometrial microbiome test done to rule out potential harmful bacteria that could cause embryo implantation failure. https://www.igenomix.co.uk/genetic-solutions/emma-clinics/
It was discovered that her NK Cells were raised at 29%. The ideal range is 12% or lower. Treatment for this was with Medicinal Mushrooms over a period of two months.

Tests also confirmed the presence of harmful bacteria, and Mrs. M was treated with antibiotics. She also took good quality probiotics to balance the endometrial flora with the aim of improving chance of pregnancy.

We retested her NK Cells after the course of medicinal mushrooms had finished and thankfully all was within normal range. Mrs. M was advised to continue taking the medicinal mushrooms at a lowered maintenance dose for the following few months.

I also prescribed Mrs. M herbal medicine during this time, and she attended for regular acupuncture treatments. Her stools were now normal without blood and the pain in her hypogastrium had dissipated.

It took a few months for Mrs. M to start producing good quality cervical mucous. She was quite hesitant about charting her basal body temperature, but when I explained how important it was, she was fully on board.

The basal body temperature charts confirmed she was ovulating, and things were now proceeding as I expected. All her hormonal bloods were checked again in clinic and they were all exactly where they needed to be.

Mrs. M was late with her cycle in July 2025, and I advised her to do a pregnancy test. To her surprise she got a positive HCG. A great result! She had a few infusions of intralipids in the first months of her pregnancy to reduce her white cell blood count.

Mrs. M had her 20-week scan last week and is doing well. She has finally relaxed into the pregnancy and looks forward to each scan, a major reversal in her way of thinking.

Mrs. M will continue to take pregnancy supplements, and her overall health has much improved. She will continue with Acupuncture treatments every few weeks for the foreseeable future;. 😀

20/10/2025

https://www.metagenics.ie/news/what-you-need-to-know-if-you-re-on-the-pill-or-take-hrt/

Estrogen-containing medications such as the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are important for many, but they can deplete these nutrients

29/07/2025

https://www.metagenics.ie/news/best-supplements-for-menopause/