Acupuncture Offers Hope to Couples Challenged by Infertility

Infertility is on the rise today. Contributing factors may include elevated stress levels, long-term poor nutrition, as well as women delaying to have children until later in life. According to the American Infertility Society, one in six couples—some seven million people—struggle with infertility. Their deep desire to conceive often sends them on a daunting odyssey of treatment protocols that range from fertility drugs (particularly, clomid) to surgery to invitro fertilization (IVF). This is often compounded by social pressures and feelings of shame and inadequacy in which partners hold themselves or one another responsible for their inability to conceive.

Although western medicine is essential for resolving structural anomalies such as blocked fallopian tubes, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers some remarkably effective treatments for infertility when no anatomical abnormalities exist. The latter would encompass infertility issues related to hormonal function, stress, lack of or excessive menstruation, inadequate sperm production and age-related factors.

TCM views the human body as a complex network of major energy channels called meridians. Most of these meridians have a relationship with one of our vital organs—heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen. They form a transportation pathway for a vital life force that the Chinese call chi (pronounced “chee.”) When the flow of chi is blocked or impeded, the body falls into a state of imbalance and disharmony, resulting in conditions such as infertility.

Acupuncture—the precise placement of small, hair-width needles just under skin’s surface— can successfully restore the flow of chi and enable the body’s systems to rebalance themselves. When combined with specially-formulated Chinese herbs, acupuncture has shown promising results in treating infertility. Women have experienced greater menstrual regularity, hormonal balancing, stress and anxiety reduction and improved sleeping habits and energy levels. Men can also benefit, as treatment often invigorates the sperm, enhancing both the count and motility.

In addition to being relatively painless, one of acupuncture’s biggest advantages is that it produces no harmful side effects such as potentially risky multiple births or ectopic pregnancies.

Acupuncture is also effective when combined with more traditional infertility treatments. In 2002, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine reported that in a study of 114 women who were receiving in-vitro fertilization, half were given acupuncture before and after the embryo transfer while the other half received IVF only. The outcome was impressive; of the women who received IVF and acupuncture, 51 percent became pregnant as opposed to 36 percent of those who received IVF only. In addition, the miscarriage rate in the acupuncture group was only 8 percent as opposed to 20 percent in the control group.

Acupuncture is obviously improving the dismal success rates of high tech reproductive medicine. Just how this age-old medicine does this is revealed by many studies:nn· Acupuncture can increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, which ndramatically improves a woman’s response to the hormonal therapy.nn· Acupuncture has been shown to regulate hormone levels by moderating the release of beta-endorphin levels in the brain, which improves the release of gonadatrophin releasing hormone by the hypothalamus, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland, and estrogen and progesterone levels from the ovary.nn· Acupuncture reduces stress and a hyperactive sympathetic nervous system response.nn· Acupuncture has been speculated to moderate cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin levels in the uterus, reducing uterine motility to improve implantation rates.

TCM continues to gain widespread recognition as a viable system of medicine. Far less invasive than many other therapies and at a fraction of the cost, its inherent wisdom can prove an invaluable resource for couples who are battling infertility.