Can acupuncture be used to treat infertility?
Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine, has been reported to promote the circulation of blood in the pelvic cavity and improve ovarian function. Acupuncture treatment may be beneficial in promoting follicle production, enhancing uterine blood flow and improving uterine lining thickness.
acupuncture can be used to improve one's overall health status, thereby positively enhancing the chance of pregnancy.
What types of fertility patients typically get acupuncture?
Acupuncture can be used to treat any type of fertility disorder including spasmed tubes. Spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture, though blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture. Acupuncture is often combined with herbal remedies to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phasedefect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycysticovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.
Who is your typical patient?
We treat female and male patients. Typically, they are between the ages of twenty-five to forty-five. Many want to try a natural approach before considering IVF. Many want to utilize complementary medicine care in conjunction with their IVF protocol. It is my experience that by combining both natural and conventional medical approaches, pregnancy rates are greater than when using one of these modalities alone. Many of our male patients come in after a vericocelectomy to help shorten the recovery time while simultaneously helping to improve sperm quality.
Should my husband be treated?
If your husband has sperm problems he is a good candidate for treatment. Our treatments show impressive results in improving sperm count, morphology, and motility. Sperm DNA fragmentation is often frequently reduced.
What do the herbs do? And, are they safe?
Acupuncture increases the flow of blood to the reproductive environment, improving egg-quality and endometrial-lining health. If you have systemic deficiencies contributing to infertility, acupuncture in and of itself may not be enough. Herbal medicine can have a direct impact on your metabolic system, your endocrine system and other systems which may be under functioning and contributing to infertility. Herbal medicine can nourish your internal reproductive landscape and give your body something it lacks; acupuncture can invigorate that which is stagnant and move that which is blocked.
Where are you going to place the needles?
The exact location of acupuncture points will vary from patient to patient and from treatment to treatment. Some of the most well-known acupuncture points, traditionally used to influence the function of the female reproductive organs, are located on the lower back, lower abdomen, and legs. The points on the lumbar, sacrum, and low abdominal regions are particularly important in consideration of female anatomy and the related nerve segmental innervations. The points on head, neck, upper back and arms are used in order to stimulate the autonomic nervous system and further induce the relaxation response.
I will be undergoing IVF. When should I start acupuncture?
While some patients respond to acupuncture quickly, acupuncture certainly does not work overnight. Most patients require a series of ongoing treatments over a few months to a year. The recommended treatment schedule is based on consideration of a variety of factors in each individual case. In many cases, we recommend that you start acupuncture treatment at least 2 months prior to the commencement of the IVF cycle and that you continue for 1 to 2 times a week until the day of the transfer.
