How Acupuncture Can Help With Infertilty

 

 

Infertility causes stress. Anyone who’s tried to get pregnant and been unsuccessful knows this. Relieving stress can help you make better decisions, enjoy your life more fully and stay more hopeful–particularly when in the middle of a fertility treatment cycle.

 

Four Simple Reasons To Try Acupuncture For Fertility

1. Can enhance fertility

2. Relieves pain

3. Improves mood

4. Reduces stress and anxiety

No one can agree on how or why this therapy works. The traditional Chinese practitioner’s explanation involves concepts such as ‘Qi’, imbalance and a restoration of harmony to the body, but according to Western medicine, the explanation is more likely to lie in brain chemistry.

However, a slightly more Western way of looking at the effects points less to the mystical Qi and more towards the solid science of brain chemistry. It has been noted that acupuncture increases production of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel good” brain chemical that also plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle, egg production and possibly ovulation.

It has been found that acupuncture treatment for infertility increases blood supply and flow to the reproductive organs, leading to speculation about increased egg follicles and elevated hormone levels around the ovaries.

It is also possible that acupuncture could help when the lining of the uterus is too weak to maintain a pregnancy – a problem associated with miscarriage. Increased blood flow may lead to a stronger lining in the uterus better able to nurture and sustain an implanted embryo.

Unfortunately, acupuncture may not help everyone. Good candidates have functional rather than structural reasons for infertility. Where there is a structural problem – such as a blocked fallopian tube or a fibroid tumor – acupuncture is not likely to help physically; however, it still may be helpful for stress-relief.

Here at Michigan Reproductive Medicine we support acupuncture therapies and help our patients to coordinate sessions during their fertility care. In fact, we coordinate acupuncture sessions here at our office along with other integrative therapies. Many patients have had acupuncture on the day of egg retrieval and/or embryo transfer. We are here to support you in your journey any way we can.