Acupuncture involves placing small, sterile needles at the points on the body where channels, or meridians, occur in order to improve the way the body functions. When it comes to infertility, acupuncture---which often is used in conjunction with herbal medicines---can address conditions such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism to improve chances of conception.
When To Start?
The American Pregnancy Association (APA) recommends a less-is-more approach to acupuncture when using it to treat infertility. Typically, treatment begins 3 or 4 months before insemination, donor egg transfer or in vitro fertilization.
Who Benefits?
Acupuncture can be used to treat most any kind of fertility problem, from spasmed tubes to repeat miscarriages, luteal phase defect and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles. Eric Hollander, L.A.c., MTOM, a San Diego-based acupuncturist, notes it can be used to address male factor infertility, including low sperm count and low sperm motility.
Continuing After Pregnancy
Because most miscarriages occur within the first 3 months of pregnancy, acupuncture treatments often continue through at least the twelfth week of a pregnancy to help prevent miscarriage from occurring. However, the APA notes that post-insemination, IVF or donor-egg transfer, needles should not be placed in the abdomino-pelvic area, including in Stomach 12, Gallbladder 21, Spleen 6, Bladder 60, Large Intestine 4, Bladder 67 and points on the lower abdomen.
Risks
Risks of acupuncture to treat fertility are low, according to the APA. The biggest risk occurs if needles are placed incorrectly after pregnancy occurs. Therefore, it's essential to work with an acupuncturist who specializes in treating fertility disorders. In most states, acupuncturists are licensed professionals. It's key to make secure a board-certified acupuncturist specializing in fertility.
