Acupuncture for fertility is becoming a well known and popular treatment for couples who are having trouble conceiving.
Who Can Benefit From Acupuncture For Fertility?
Both women and men can benefit from acupuncture for fertility, but of course the treatment has different aims. In the case of men, the goal will be to increase the sperm count. This can be done by improving the balance of hormones or by strengthening the body’s natural resistance to invaders such as pollutants and disease.
Women can receive acupuncture treatment to help stimulate ovulation. This is one of the most successful uses of acupuncture for fertility.
In some cases the acupuncturist will recommend a herbal treatment to be taken between sessions with the needles. Be cautious about taking this if you are having IVF or other treatment involving fertility drugs, because it may affect the effectiveness of the drugs. Find out exactly what is in the preparation and talk to your doctor before taking it.
What Is Acupuncture For Fertility?
Acupuncture involves inserting needles just below the skin at certain points (known as acupuncture points). It is not like having an injection where the needle goes deep. You might feel something like a little electric shock, or perhaps an ache. Many people enjoy the sensation.
The acupuncturist may use moxa either with the needles or directly on the skin. This is a Chinese herb that is burned to warm the skin and stimulate circulation. Research has shown that it can increase blood flow, particularly in the pelvic area and the uterus.
How Does It Work?
How acupuncture works is a mystery to most of us … and yet it does seem to work, whether you believe or not. It is said to release blockages in the channels that allow energy to flow around the body. This allows the body to regain its natural balance or homeostasis.
Treatment with acupuncture often seems to resolve cases of unexplained infertility, where a couple is failing to conceive but doctors cannot find any physical problem. The woman is ovulating and the sperm count is normal. These cases of infertility are often put down to stress, emotional factors or a mysterious incompatibility between the woman’s egg and the man’s sperm.
Acupuncturists have a good success rate with treatments to reduce stress and balance the emotions, and this may be the reason why they are able to help couples conceive in this situation.
It is especially important to avoid stress when you are trying to have a baby. Signs of stress are interpreted by the body as signs that you are in physical danger. That is not a good time to start a pregnancy. So treatment that reduces physical signs of stress is likely to help you conceive. This is true even if you are not aware that you are stressed.
Acupuncture cannot solve serious infertility problems, such as blocked fallopian tubes or where there is no sperm being produced. Nevertheless, for many couples it can have excellent results, balancing the body so that pregnancy is more likely to occur. If you are looking for a natural treatment, acupuncture for infertility may be the answer.