Acupuncture has been used as a fertility treatment for longer than most existing therapies and medicine available today. It is one of the more prominent practices rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It has been found to help increase fertility by regulating hormones, increasing blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, tackling common causes of infertility, and in helping with overall inflammation and stress relief.
Acupuncture has proven success for improving fertility
Whether you have been struggling for years with fertility or are undergoing in vitro fertilization, acupuncture is often a piece of the puzzle that helps bring everything together. A 2008 study found that acupuncture was effective as an adjunct therapy to IVF by aiding in relaxing the uterus and increasing blood flow for improved rates of embryo implantation. Recent studies have showed that it can increase the efficacy of IVF by 50% making it become an even more popular adjunctive treatment to IVF.
How does it work?
Our bodies have channels of energy called meridians. These channels run through our bodies like a river and nourish all of our tissues. These meridians are not an enigma or new perspective on how our bodies work, but rather are a precise mapping of how our organs and organ systems are connected. When a backup of flow (for example, blood and its important components for healing) occurs, the body becomes stagnant. This can lead to physical and emotional illnesses, including infertility. The meridians can become unstuck by targeting certain acupuncture points and allowing for flow back into them.
Hormonal balancing is key to conceiving
Balancing hormones is a huge contributor to women’s health and fertility health. Hormones act like messengers in the body that oversee the regulation of metabolism, body temperature, sleep cycles, reproduction, emotional health, mental activity, immune system, and energy levels. Conventional medicine opts for prescribed hormone replacement medications that are often toxic to the body and create a number of side effects. Acupuncture uses a natural method to restore the balance of hormones by placing needles at the key channels to stimulate certain organs and glands to create more energy flow. Increasing blood flow to specific areas of the body, including the uterus, helps to create a hospitable place for the baby to grow.
Handling stress is important for conception
Another very common channel blocker in the body is stress, which is proven to disrupt the body’s ability to conceive. When a woman is trying to get pregnant or struggling with fertility issues, stress levels tend to run extremely high. What happens is that acupuncture acts sort of like physical therapy for the nervous system when applied to the correct points. Studies have also found it to have positive effects on heart rate variability, which promotes a healthy overall nervous system.
In-house expertise for fertility cases
At Lakeland Acupuncturist Kathleen Barber, MSAOM, RAc, Dipl. Ac. specializes in women’s health and fertility. Five out of seven of her current fertility patients are now pregnant! Call us today and book your appointment with Kathleen.
