Acupuncture and Infertility - Can Acupuncture Help Women Get Pregnant?

A number of clinical studies have shown the positive benefits of acupuncture for infertility problems, and an increasing number of couples having difficulty getting pregnant are turning to this natural infertility treatment for help. This article takes a look at acupuncture and infertility and explains how this ancient treatment can help ready the body for pregnancy.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture has been used as a form of healing since ancient times. The technique originated in the Far East and involves the insertion and manipulation of fine needles into specific locations on the body. Acupuncture can relieve pain and improve a number of medical conditions.

Acupuncture typically regulates the blood pressure by stimulating the body's central nervous system. It causes the release of endorphins, which in turn inhibit pain and provide a sense of wellness. It also causes the release of various neurohormones and neurotransmitters, which help the body heal.

Regulating and Healing Bodily Systems Vital For Pregnancy

Acupuncture can be combined with traditional medical infertility treatments to resolve issues such as hormone imbalances. Because it helps regulate the body's systems, acupuncture improves blood flow to the vital organs and facilitates the regulation of hormone levels. This technique also improves follicular and ovarian function. It is able to increase blood flow to the endometrium, which encourages a thick, rich lining.

Infertility caused by conditions such as spasmed tubes can also be treated with acupuncture. Blocked tubes will not respond, but spasmed tubes can often be corrected through acupuncture. Elevated levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are often treated by acupuncture in combination with herbs. Unexplained (ideopathic) infertility, repeated loss of pregnancy, luteal phase defect, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with irregular cycles, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma) and male factors such as sperm-DNA-fragmentation are also treated with acupuncture combined with herbs.

Improving IVF and Infertility Treatment Success

Acupuncture may also improve the likelihood of success when in vitro fertilization (IVF) is attempted. More and more fertility centers and fertility specialists are offering acupuncture as part of their IVF treatments. The embryo transfer process in IVF has been shown to be significantly improved following acupuncture, causing a greater likelihood of conception.

Much like physical therapy, acupuncture is a process that helps the body heal itself over a period of time. More acupuncture treatments are better than not enough. Women can undergo acupuncture for three to four months before being inseminated through IVF or a transfer of a donor's egg. Acupuncture treatments are also recommended before and after an embryo transfer. Continuing acupuncture treatments for this period of time before a fertility treatment seems to have a therapeutic effect.

Relieving Infertility Stress

Fertility treatments can be a very stressful experience for a couple, but especially for the woman. Infertility stress, anxiety and depression can all be relieved through acupuncture. With its many positive effects on infertility treatments, acupuncture is an option that makes sense for a couple battling infertility.

Acupuncture and Infertility – What Are The Risks?

Acupuncture is associated with very few risks when used with infertility treatments. The most significant risk is miscarriage if incorrect acupuncture points are used on a pregnant woman. This makes it essential that people who want to incorporate acupuncture into their treatment regimen use an acupuncturist who specializes in treating infertility. Electro-acupuncture can also be an excellent alternative to conventional painkillers during labor, and it can result in a shorter period of hospitalization, thereby reducing hospital costs.

Research studies suggest that traditional medical interventions combined with acupuncture and herbal medicine result in the most effective infertility treatments.

Pregnancy Miracle is a natural infertility treatment program that combines acupuncture and other holistic treatments. It has been remarkably successful in reversing infertility for thousands of couples trying to conceive naturally.