According to several studies and medical research, acupuncture can increase fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system. The 3 goals of infertility treatments are to get pregnant, stay pregnant and to have a healthy baby.
Acupuncture consists of the gentle insertion and stimulation of thin, disposable sterile needles at strategic points near the surface of the body. There are over 1,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with 14 major pathways, called channels or meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that these meridians conduct qi , or energy, between the surface of the body and internal organs. It is qi that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. When the flow of qi is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result.
Acupuncture helps to keep the normal flow of qi unblocked, thereby increasing a couple’s chances of conceiving. Acupuncture fertility treatments can improve many causes that are otherwise obstacles. While up to 40 percent of infertility may be due to a dysfunction found in the female reproductive system or other things such as an under-functioning thyroid (hypothyroidism) or over-functioning thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Another percentage is due to issues occurring in the male reproductive system, such as low sperm count or motility. The cause of female infertility can stem from issues such as anovulation and endometriosis, while many other causes are unknown factors.
One of the ways acupuncture treatments increase fertility is by reducing stress, which is often a key factor in the fertility of both men and women. When people are under stress, the hormone cortizol is released in the brain. This alters the brain’s neurochemical balance, thus changing hormone levels and disrupting the pituitary balance that is key to the reproductive cycle. Chinese medicine can help support a woman through this important time in her life—whether that is emotionally or physically, therefore, acupuncture can help with much more than just conception. It can help with morning sicknesss, nausea, aches and pains (low back pain, for example), anxiety preparation for birth, and insomnia, among many others
Because of the delicate balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and reproductive glands, stress is capable of preventing a woman from ovulating entirely. This can contribute to the cause of female infertility. Stress can also create spasms in both the fallopian tubes and the uterus, which can interfere with movement and implantation of a fertilized egg. In men, stress can alter sperm counts, motility, and cause impotence. Acupuncture fertility treatments counter the effects of stress and cortizol by releasing endorphins in the brain. An herbal impotence cure is also an option for men and can reduce stress.
Hormonal balance does not have to be disrupted by cortizol to cause infertility. The most common cause of female infertility is an ovulation disorder, in which the release of a mature egg from the ovary is prevented, usually because of a hormonal imbalance. Without enough progesterone, for example, the fetus is unable to attach to the uterus. High levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk, can also prevent ovulation. Acupuncture helps to bring balance to the endocrine system.