Acupuncture and Fertility

The treatment of infertility with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine dates back over 2000 years. These ancient, time tested techniques improve fertility rates and support a woman's whole body, unlocking unlimited potential for health, healing and childbearing.

Studies reported by The American Pregnancy Association suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional medical interventions.

Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical Center in new York reviewed recent studies and concluded that acupuncture helps to:

• Increase blood flow to the uterus, improving the chances of an ovum implanting on the uterine wall.
• Reduce anxiety and stress. The hormones that are secreted during stressful situations can significantly decrease fertility.
• Normalize hormone and endocrine systems that regulate ovulation, especially in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
• Positively affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a key role in fertility.
• Regulate the menstrual cycle.

In a 2007 study, researchers found that acupuncture may improve the quality of life in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). It was also found that women receiving acupuncture reported significantly less abdominal pain, nausea and stress two hours after oocyte aspiration, compared to women receiving conventional analgesia.

In 2008, the British Medical Journal published research which concluded that acupuncture can be offered as a significantly, clinically relevant adjunct to IVF, relaxing the uterus and increasing blood flow for the successful implantation of an embryo within the uterine lining.

An acupuncturist's approach to fertility. According to the theories of acupuncture and TCM, infertility is caused by an imbalance of Qi and blood affecting the healthy functioning of one or more of the organ systems. When Qi, our vital energy, and blood are circulating freely throughout the body, every cell, tissue and organ is properly nourished and can function well. Acupuncture and TCM can raise the fertility potential of both women and men by improving the quality, quantity, balance and flow of Qi and blood.

(content from AcupunctureMediaWorks.com)