Using Acupuncture for infertility

Acupuncture is something that has been used for thousands of years and is something that is still in practice and useful today.

What is Acupuncture? It is defined as, “Acupuncture is the insertion of ultra-thin, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points on the body which reside on channels or meridians; these are pathways in both the exterior and interior of the body. These points, when needled, can regulate the way in which the body functions.” (http://www.americanpregnancy.org/infertility/acupuncture.htm)

When should I use acupuncture?  There are varying reports as to when a woman should start using acupuncture but through all my research a common theme is that acupuncture is something that takes time. It is something that woman can’t do for just one month; it is something that should be used over several months.

What are the benefits of using acupuncture for infertility? When acupuncture is used in conjunction with modern medicine, it has been reported that those treatments are more successful than just the treatment alone.

CBS news wrote an article concerning this, stating, “Marshall cites a 2002 German study suggesting that acupuncture may, in fact, work. The study looked at 160 women undergoing IVF, half of whom received acupuncture along with IVF, and the other half who received IVF alone. They found pregnancy rates among the women undergoing acupuncture were significantly higher.” (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/23/earlyshow/saturday/main631441.shtml)

Acupuncture also helps relieve some of the very common issues with fertility. The American Pregnancy Association address what infertility conditions acupuncture can help with:

“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 herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.” (http://www.americanpregnancy.org/infertility/acupuncture.htm)

http://www.mycollegesandcareers.com/2010/06/acupuncture-helps-with-infertility/