Physical Therapy For Fertility Assistance

My name is Dr. Laura Cutler, PT, DPT, and it would be a privilege to guide you on your fertility journey and provide you with access to a holistic approach to your fertility through Mercier Therapy.

Fertility struggles are often isolating, leaving many lost, confused, and unsure of where to seek help.  During what should be an exciting time, often results in unending medical appointments where there is little explanation for why one might be struggling to conceive.

Early on in my journey I found myself constantly being told “everything looks normal,” even though we continued to struggle to conceive. Through my own challenges with fertility, I have learned a lot about my body, what it needs, and in turn, how to build a community of medical professionals committed to treating the root causes of my issues.  Of the providers I trusted with my care, one of the most impactful parts of my journey was when I started seeing a physical therapist, who assessed my pelvic floor function and pelvic organ mobility. It was through my physical therapy that I discovered visceral manipulation and eventually more specifically, Mercier Therapy. 

Visceral manipulation was key to helping me restore and maintain blood flow and mobility to my reproductive organs during our fertility journey.  This, combined with the guidance of my team of medical professionals, resulted in my husband and me conceiving our first child after years of struggling!

 

What is Mercier Therapy?

Mercier Therapy is a deep external pelvic organ visceral manipulation technique that addresses restrictions of the pelvic organs (uterus and ovaries) and surrounding soft tissues (hips, spine, and abdomen) to improve blood flow and function of those organs. It is a gentle, hands on, external technique that was developed by Dr. Jennifer Mercier, a naturopathic doctor and midwife to optimize fertility and pelvic health by addressing mobility of the reproductive structures and scar tissue. 

Is Mercier Therapy Right for Me?

Mercier Therapy is beneficial for the following conditions:

  • Infertility and Secondary Infertility

  • Recurring miscarriages

  • Improving your chances of successful IVF or IUI

  • Endometriosis

  • PCOS

  • Diminished Ovarian Reserve

  • Fallopian tubes issues

  • Regulation of menstrual cycle and ovulation

  • Facilitating restoration of normal hormone balance

  • Improving ovarian function for better quality follicles/eggs

  • Increasing uterine blood flow and lining necessary for implantation

  • Improving reproductive organ positioning necessary for conception/pregnancy 

  • Pelvic Pain

  • Pelvic/abdominal surgery recovery (c-section, laparoscopy, laparotomy, D&C, LEEP, prolapse repair)

  • Pelvic organ prolapse

  • Urinary urgency/frequency

  • Painful intercourse

Does this describe you?

  • 6 months or longer attempting to conceive

  • History of endometriosis, PCOS, scarring from previous surgery or trauma

  • Looking for a more holistic approach to conception, that is not medically assisted 

  • Planning to use medically assisted cycle, such as IUI or IVF, and want to prepare your body for the procedure to increase success rate

  • Frustrated or confused with current care or advice regarding your fertility

What is the process for Mercier therapy?

Mercier Therapy starts with The Shared Fertility Journey. This is a one year program that begins with a 1-hour consultation with Dr. Laura Cutler, PT, DPT.

During the initial consultation, Dr. Laura will review your medical history and your fertility journey. She will also perform a pelvic organ mobility evaluation, after which she will determine if the Mercier Therapy approach is appropriate for you and your goals to conception. 

After the initial consultation, the program consists of the following: 

  • Six 1-hour Mercier Therapy treatments. These can be completed weekly, or they can be broken down into intensives for women who are either preparing for a medically assisted cycle or if they are only in town for a limited amount of time.

  • In-depth cycle monitoring support for 1 year

  • Email support for 1 year

  • Evidence-based fertility supplement protocol (created by a naturopathic doctor/midwife)

Mercier Therapy compared to IVF

  • IVF cycle:  $12,000-$17,000

  • IVF success rate:

    • US Society of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART 2020 live birth rates for 1st embryo transfer)

      • 37.5% for women under 35

      • 29.0% for women ages 35-37

      • 20.2% for women ages 38-40

      • 10.8% for women ages 41-42

      • 3.5% for women over 42

  • Mercier Therapy Success Rate:

    • 83% over 4 year period (see research below)

    • 87% for Mercier Therapy + medically assisted cycle (see research below)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23055467/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25691329/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18251317/

You can reach out to Dr. Laura directly with questions regarding Mercier Therapy via email: Laura.cutler@gobeyondexercise.com