The treatment of infertility with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dates back 2,000 years. These ancient, time-tested techniques improve fertility rates and support a woman’s whole body, unlocking unlimited potential for health, healing and childbearing. Studies reported by The American Pregnancy Association suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions. However, conception does sometimes occur without traditional medical interventions when acupuncture and herbal medicines are used alone.
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York reviewed recent studies and concluded that acupuncture helps to:
• Increase blood flow to the uterus, which improves the chances of an ovum implanting on the uterine wall.
• Reduce anxiety and stress. The hormones that are secreted during stressful situations can significantly decrease fertility.
• Normalize hormone and endocrine systems that regulate ovulation, especially in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
• Positively affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a key role in fertility.
• Regulate the menstrual cycle.
In 2008, the British Medical Journal published research which concluded that acupuncture can be offered as a significant, clinically relevant adjunct to IVF (in vitro fertilization), relaxing the uterus and increasing blood flow for the successful implantation of an embryo within the uterine lining.
QUICK FACTS: In a 2007 study, researchers found that acupuncture may improve the quality of life in patients undergoing IVF. It was also found that women receiving acupuncture reported significantly less abdominal pain, nausea, and stress two hours after oocyte aspiration (egg collection) compared to women receiving conventional analgesia.
©2012 Acupuncture Media Works