5 Ways to Treat Infertility With Acupuncture

1. Balance the Menstrual Cycle

In Oriental medicine, the female menstrual cycle demonstrates her internal health and balance. Common symptoms of reproductive imbalance are irregular menses or any of the following symptoms before, during or after menses: abdominal or low back pain, breast tenderness, very heavy or very light flow, lots of clots in the menstrual blood or emotional symptoms. Be sure to talk candidly with your acupuncture practitioner about your reproductive function and menses. This will help the acupuncturist determine the root of the problem, balance your system and boost your fertility.

2. Get rid of Damp and Phlegm

In order for your body to function optimally, all of your organs the acupuncture channels must be clear and able to operate at their highest levels. Modern diets, high in fat, dairy and processed sugar, create a lot of mucus or phlegm. This turbid fluid clogs up the energy pathways and can manifest as respiratory, digestive and reproductive problems, excess body fat or even masses and tumors. Ask your acupuncturist about how much dampness you have. If needed, your acupuncturist will help clear the phlegm and strengthen the organs that deal with dampness, increasing your odds of conception.

3. Turn up the Kidney Energy

Our reproductive ability, as described in Oriental medicine, comes largely from having strong kidneys. If someone is born with weak kidneys or damages their kidneys through improper lifestyle or trauma, their ability to reproduce will be harmed. Signs you may need help with your kidneys include low back pain, knee pain, night sweats, fatigue, excessive or diminished sexual desire, frequent urination and edema, especially in the lower body. Oriental medicine has a long tradition with many techniques for strengthening the kidneys. If you suspect your kidneys are weak, ask your acupuncturist about techniques to strengthen them. In addition to many acupuncture methods, your practitioner may recommend dietary therapy, herbs, meditations and specific lifestyle practices to boost kidney energy and thus fertility.

4. Combine East and West Through Lab Testing

Acupuncture today is a very modern art and science. Specific acupuncture points and protocols have been studied for their ability to affect specific changes in many systems of the body. This is especially true for reproductive medicine. Oriental medical doctors have correlated laboratory blood values for various hormones with Eastern Medicine concepts like yin and yang. For example, a woman with low progesterone may be said to have a yang deficiency. This insufficiency of yang energy can be treated with specific acupuncture points that boost the yang, enhancing fertility. Look for an acupuncturist who is a member of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine, a group of practitioners who are well versed in both Eastern and Western reproductive medicine, and who often collaborate with reproductive endocrinologists.

5. Improve Your IVF Chances of Success

If you decide to use In Vitro Fertilization or IVF, you may still consider using acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy. A recent research study has shown that acupuncture can boost the IVF success rate by more than 70%. A qualified acupuncturist can deliver acupuncture treatment while the IVF procedure is performed, making the procedure less stressful and boosting odds of success.