Cramps that disrupt your day
They can interfere with work, sleep or exercise and break through regular pain medication.
Cramping can be bad enough to miss work or sleep, even with medication. It may spread into the low back, hips, inner thighs, rectum or deep in the vagina. Period pain is a symptom with more than one possible source, including conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids that need a gynecologist.
Monthly cramping can lead the pelvic floor and deep hip muscles to tighten in protection. Over time, that tightness can stay and develop tender spots that send pain elsewhere. Repeated pain each month can also make the nervous system more reactive, so the same cramp hurts more.
I work alongside your gynecologist, who manages any condition behind the cramping. My main tool for the pain is dry needling, a form of acupuncture, aimed at its muscle and nerve sources. The iliopsoas, a deep hip flexor, can crowd the genitofemoral nerve running through it. Needling the muscle eases that pressure. Monthly pain can sensitize the spinal cord, so I also needle near T10 to L1 and the sacrum, the levels carrying uterine pain. Electroacupuncture, a gentle current through fine needles, may help influence signaling between the brain and ovaries across your cycle. Custom herbal formulas support circulation and hormones.
Most people have tried pain relievers like ibuprofen, hormonal treatment, and sometimes ultrasound or surgery. These can be essential, especially when endometriosis is present. Medication lowers the chemical side of cramping but doesn’t relax a guarding pelvic floor. Ultrasound can rule out many structural problems, but it can’t show tender muscle or nerve sensitivity.
I ask when in your cycle the pain comes, where it spreads, and how it responds to medication. Then the exam:
I work in step with your gynecologist. If anything I find makes a check-in with them worthwhile, I’ll tell you what I saw.
Your gynecologist handles diagnosis and medical treatment. I treat the muscle and nerve sources that add to menstrual pain. I also use electroacupuncture to help influence hormonal signaling, and custom herbal formulas to support your cycle.
See your gynecologist for pain that keeps worsening, pain with bowel movements or urination that follows your cycle, or deep pain with sex. Fertility concerns, bleeding changes, or pain that medication doesn’t control also deserve a visit. Seek urgent care for fever, sudden severe pain on one side, fainting, or a possible pregnancy.
Ultrasound and MRI show structure. They don’t show pelvic floor tone, tender spots in muscle, or a nervous system that has become more reactive. A normal scan can sit alongside very real pain.
No. Treatment stays external, covering the pelvic floor along with the abdominal wall, hips, buttocks and inner thighs. Should internal work be useful, I’ll refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Most people start with a short stretch of more frequent visits, then adjust around the cycle. Frequency depends on how severe the pain is and how quickly it flares.
This treatment starts with an exam that finds the muscles and nerves reproducing your pain. Releasing the iliopsoas takes tension off the genitofemoral nerve in the groin. When pain is amplified more broadly, I add needling at the spine. Most plans combine these with electroacupuncture and herbs, since several factors are usually involved.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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118 W. 72nd St, Rear Lobby, New York, NY 10023
Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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