Acupuncture and Infertility

Why Does Acupuncture and Infertility go hand-in-hand?

The fact that acupuncture has been in use since ancient times, beginning in Asia, only adds to its gravity. The process whereby a licensed practitioner inserts ultra fine needles and manipulates then into specific meridian points on the body is unlike any other treatment. It is used to alleviate a variety of ailments and medical problems. In most cases, the central nervous system is stimulated and has an affect on blood pressure. Endorphins are released during the manipulation process and that in turn creates a feeling of relief since the endorphins block pain. In addition, neuro-hormones are released through the neurotransmitters and together help the body to heal itself.

There is no reason not to use acupuncture with other infertility treatments that are used in related conditions such as hormonal imbalances. Regulating the body’s systems, including hormone levels through an increase in blood flow to the vital organs is the main goal. It also improves follicular and ovarian function. It can increase blood flow to the lining of the uterus, which in turn improves the lining’s thickness. Using acupuncture has the possibility of increasing the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF). More and more fertility specialists and centers offer it as a part of their in vitro treatments. This technique used during IVF treatments has shown to have meaningful improvements during the embryo transfer process. The results show in an increased pregnancy rate. Acupuncturists often treat fertility problems like spasm tubes that can be de-spasmed, however, blocked tubes do not respond to the technique. When herbs are combined with acupuncture in a specific technique, they can be often effective in treating men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation. The same process will also treat elevated levels of (FSH) follicle stimulating hormone, repeated pregnancy loss, idiopathic infertility, which is unexplained, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with irregular cycles, luteal phase defect, and hyper-prolactinemia when not caused by a prolactinoma

Acupuncture helps the body to heal itself over time. Similar to physical therapy or yoga, the more it is done the better. The process requires a woman to be treated for three to four months before an insemination when used in-vitro fertilization, or donor-egg transfer. The regimen encourages acupuncture treatments both before and after the embryo is transferred. There has been know to be a therapeutic effect on women who continue to use acupuncture during the entire process. Since the process of fertility treatments can be particularly stressful on a woman, and man for that matter, acupuncture does ameliorate anxiety, reduce stress, and help depression. Acupuncture has so many positive attributes for infertility with almost no side effects that it is no wonder that so many couples are using it in combination with other fertility treatments.

The risks are very low when using acupuncture with infertility treatments. The biggest risk, of course, is miscarriage. This may develop if the practitioner uses incorrect acupuncture points while the woman is pregnant. It is very important to use an acupuncturist who specializes in infertility disorders rather than a generalist. In addition, a good alternative to conventional medical painkillers during labor is electro-acupuncture. It often results in less days in the hospital thereby reducing the overall cost.

Current research suggests that herbal medicines, traditional medical procedures and acupuncture are the most significant treatments for fertility problems, if they are used together. When it comes to conception however, herbs and acupuncture alone have not been shown to help with conception without the use of traditional medical techniques.