FERTILITY ACUPUNCTURE
HELPING WOMEN WITH
NATURAL CONCEPTION
NATURAL FERTILITY ACUPUNCTURE
When treating a female for fertility, it is crucial to inform women about their reproductive system. Part of the fertility acupuncture session includes providing the patient with information for increasing their chances to fall pregnant. During the consultation, important fertility topics that are discussed: such as different phases of their menstrual cycle, factors needed for conception, how to work out your fertile time and all about ovulation. Very often I find that couples are willing to make radical changes to their lives and consider spending a great deal of energy, time and emotion on elaborate treatment, however they may simply be having sex at the wrong time or be unaware of the intricacies of the female reproductive cycle.
“Acupuncture may be beneficial at regulating the menstrual cycle by balancing hormonal levels.” (1)
CONTRIBUTING CONDITIONS
You may have been already diagnosed with underlying health problems which may be contributing for the reason why you may not be conceiving. There are several conditions which may interfere with a female’s ability to fall pregnant.
OVARIAN FACTORS
Production of lesser quality of eggs, failure to ovulate, hormonal changes causing irregular menstruation, an absence of menstruation (amenorrhea), heavy uterine bleeding and polycystic ovaries.
FALLOPIAN TUBE FACTORS
The fallopian tubes may become blocked due to infection or endometriosis. Therefore, the sperm cannot fertilise the egg.
UTERINE FACTORS
Uterine fibroids can block the parts of the tubes preventing the embryo from moving to the uterus. Another problem is when the uterus is too small for the embryo to develop and grow.
CERCIAL FACTORS
Cervical or vaginal infections can cause discharge or mucus which may kill the sperm.
IMPROVING YOUR CHANCES
The menstrual cycle is a complex interplay of hormones, which all need to be released at the right level and at the right time in your cycle to produce a healthy and mature egg. Psychological and emotional stress has an impact on the production of hormones. Cortisol is one of the hormones which can raise with long term stress, affecting the reproductive hormones. Prolactin is another hormone which can increase with stress, high levels of prolactin can suppress ovulation and also cause loss of libido in women. Stress causes the body to go into “fight or flight” response, making blood flow away from the pelvic organs to more vital areas for survival.
It is of particular importance to maximise the blood flow to the ovaries and the uterine lining to increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients to these pelvic organs. For implantation to occur, the uterus needs to provide an optimal environment in which the uterine lining is thick enough for the embryo to implant. One study (2) which looked at the effect of fertility acupuncture on uterine blood flow concluded that there was a significant increase in uterine arterial blood flow after the acupuncture treatment, this, in fact, may improve the chances of implantation.
“At Holistic Acupuncture treatments are individually tailored to suit your health needs.”
RESEARCH
- Cochrane S et al, Evid Based Comp and Alt Med, 2016, Article ID 3587569, 11 pages. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Ming H et al, 2009 Electroacupuncture reduces uterine artery blood flow impedance in infertile women. Taiwan, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2009; 48: 148-51
- Kim H, Park HJ, Han SM, Hahm DH, Lee HJ, Kim KS, Shim I. The effects of acupuncture stimulation at PC6 (Neiguan) on chronic mild stress-induced biochemical and behavioral responses. Neurosc Letters. 2009;460(1): 56-60
- Hu Wenciao, J Taishan, Acupuncture and blood flow: Effects of acupuncture on the endometrium in anovulatory cases by clomiphene: A clinical observation. Med College, 20176, 9(9):1029-1031.
- Siterman S et al, Does Acupuncture treatment affect sperm density in males with very low sperm count? A Pilot Study. Androlog. 2000;32 (1)31-39
- Pei J et al, Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatments for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility, 2005;84(1);141-7
- Zhang M e et al, Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology. Journal of Huanzhong University 2002;22(3);228-30
- Siterman S et al, Effects of acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from subfertility related to low sperm quality. Androl 1997;39(2);155-61
- Diertele et al, A prospective randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia. Fertil Steril 2009;92(4) 1340-3