Infertility
Looking into options for help with conception can be a little confusing and more than a little upsetting. This article presents information on a natural approach that supports your body in functioning normally. It is an approach that helps your body work the way it is intended to work.
You may be comfortable with the treatment recommended by your OB or fertility specialist, but want to enhance the outcome of treatment. Someone may have told you to try acupuncture because it improves the chances of a successful pregnancy. Acupuncture can be an effective supplement to conventional infertility care. Clinical reports and research on acupuncture suggest that acupuncture is capable of significantly enhancing fertility. Some of the research includes the effect of acupuncture in increasing sperm motility and reducing the presence of abnormal sperm, the regulation of hormones directly involved in follicular development and implantation, increasing rates of pregnancy when used before and after embryo replacement, as well as increased blood supply to the uterus and ovaries. It can be used for specific health problems such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and irregular menstrual cycles. Treatment can be used in conjunction with Western medical infertility treatment or as the only treatment
On the other hand, you may have tried or investigated the use of pharmaceuticals such as Clomed, IUIs or invetro, and think that they may not be the answer for you right now. You want to know what else is available. In the West, Chinese medicine is strongly associated with acupuncture, and many people are unaware that there are other aspects Chinese medicine. You may not know that Chinese medicine was the primary system of healthcare for over three thousand years; that it has been tested for thousands of years on millions of people. Acupuncture is not synonymous with Chinese medicine. It is just one aspect of it. For fertility treatment, I use primarily three branches of Chinese medicine: acupuncture, herbology, and nutritional counseling. Using three together is a more powerful means of supporting the natural functioning and good health of your body.
Treatment is aimed at:
Balancing the menstrual cycle to a regular 28-30 day cycle with fertile mucus, mid-cycle ovulation, and efficient bleeding
Regulating ovulation so that the egg is being released at its best time of development
Improving the fertile mucus that helps guide the sperm to the egg
Promoting efficient menstrual bleeding which reflects on the quality of the uterine lining. It is important for the fertilized egg to have a healthy endometrium for implantation. Ideal menstrual bleeding lasts 3 to 5 days, is red, and without clots.
Enhancing egg development because it is under the influence of the mothers hormones. Although the genetic material for a woman’s eggs is created when she herself is an embryo, it appears that is possible to influence the integrity of the eggs. This may be the result of increasing the blood supply and nutritional supply to the follicle and egg.
Improving sperm quality may be essential to improving the chances of conception. Normal sperm count is currently given as greater than 20 million sperm per ml, greater than 50% of sperm moving vigorously (motility), and greater than 14% with no deformities (morphology). A study reviewing the fertility of men who succeeded in fathering a child had more than 48 million sperm per ml, a motility of over 63%, and a normal morphology of 12% (New England Journal of Medicine 345(19):1388-1393).
Enhancing the health and functioning of the fallopian tubes by improving the secretions of the fallopian tubes, this works to facilitate the passage of the fertilized egg in the uterus.
Improving the success of embryo implantation has been documented when acupuncture was used during IVF (Fertility and Sterility 74(4):721-72). This study of 160 women undergoing IVF showed a 42.5 success rate for women using acupuncture compared to 26.3% for women who did not use acupuncture. In another study of 114 women, the women receiving acupuncture had a 51% pregnancy rate compared to 36% in the control group. The miscarriage rate was .08% and 20% respectively (American Society of Reproductive Medicine October 2004).
Promoting a viable pregnancy. Research has shown that for women with a history of recurrent miscarriage, regular monitoring and stress reduction treatments during the first twelve weeks increased live birth rates from 33% in women who did not receive acupuncture to 86% for those who did (Aust NZ J Obster Gynecol 1991:31:4:3210)
During pregnancy, acupuncture can be used for problems such as nausea and vomiting, constipation, insomnia, breech and posterior presentation, pain. There are also treatments that will help prepare for labor and childbirth.
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