Golden Valley Acupunture Center

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Fertility

Acupuncture for Fertility
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used in the East to treat both male and female infertility with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for the past 3,000 + years. A landmark study published in the Medical Journal of Fertility and Sterility found that “Acupuncture dramatically improves the chances of conceiving when used in conjunction with other assisted reproductive techniques”. A recent German study (pub. 2002, in “Journal of Fertility and Sterility”) involving 160 women undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization), found that 42.5% of those who had had acupuncture before and after their embryo transfer became pregnant, versus 26.3% in the control group- nearly a 50% improvement with acupuncture and IVF (in vitro fertilization) combined.

Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York reviewed studies and concluded that Fertility Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can help to:

  • Improve the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs.
  • Regulate hormones to produce larger numbers of follicles.
  • Increase blood flow to the Uterus and Ovaries thereby increasing both Ovarian Sensitivity to gonadtropins and the Uterine Lining for implantation.
  • Relax the patient to induce parasympathetic nervous system dominance.
  • Lessen many of the unwanted side-effects of ART treatment.
  • Mitigate the downstream effects of IVF stimulation in the uterine environment to enhance implantation and ongoing pregnancy rates.
  • Decrease miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy rates.
  • Improve semen densities in male factor infertility
  • Enhance conception in ART cycles: IUI, IVF, FET, Surrogacy.
  • Promote a healthy ongoing pregnancy without complications, and a healthy post-partum period.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine provide a safe, effective, drug-free and natural approach to treating fertility challenges and enjoying a healthy pregnancy. The following are a few reasons to try Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine:

  • Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are completely natural. No drugs or synthetic compounds are ever used. Therefore, there are no side effects.
  • Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used to strengthen, support and balance overall health and well being, so that western fertility procedures are more effective.
  • The practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine is over 3,000 years old and has helped millions of people become well and stay healthy.

Acupuncture During Pregnancy

In addition to acupuncture for fertility treatment, acupuncture by an experienced, qualified Practitioner is completely healthy and even beneficial during pregnancy. According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture has been found to be extremely effective in relieving nausea and vomiting due to morning sickness, back or other pain or discomfort related to pregnancy as well as significantly reducing the duration and intensity of labor. There is also strong evidence that acupuncture helps turn a breech birth!

Prevention of Miscarriage with Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

A study by the Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Center in Colorado Springs found that acupuncture significantly reduces the miscarriage rate from 20% not receiving acupuncture with their IVF treatment to 8% of women combining acupuncture with their IVF protocol. Acupuncture also significantly lessens the chances of ectopic pregnancy.

  • Recurrent pregnancy loss is often a sign of an underlying fertility problem that requires treatment before a successful pregnancy can occur. Approximately 15 to 20% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage so it is not alarming for a woman to experience one miscarriage in her lifetime. However, after a second pregnancy loss, the risk of miscarriage rises and continues to rise with each subsequent miscarriage.
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine has always recognized that it is often the same sorts of imbalances that can cause difficulty getting pregnant and staying pregnant and carrying a healthy baby to full term. Because it is generally accepted that the main cause of miscarriage in the first trimester (as much as 60%) is due to a chromosomal abnormality, treatment of both the male and female partner will improve egg and sperm quality resulting in better quality embryos thereby reducing the risk of miscarriage.