How Acupuncture Can Increase Fertility

Medical professionals define infertility as being unable to conceive or remain pregnant after one year of unprotected sex. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), infertility affects about 12% of women between the ages of 15-44. Due to this large number of women with this problem, finding new ways to increase your chances of getting and staying pregnant are more and more common. That is why there has been such an increase in the number of women looking towards acupuncture as a possible way to finally help them start a family.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years, although only more recently has the science behind it beginning to fall into place.  This is especially true for the female reproductive system. Due to the ever so delicate balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and reproductive glands, something as trivial as additional stress can prevent a woman from ovulating entirely. It can also create spasms in both the fallopian tubes and the uterus, which in turn can interfere with the implantation of a fertilized egg. In men, stress is known to alter their sperm counts, motility, and can even cause impotence.

​Hormonal balance, however, does NOT have to be disrupted by cortisol to cause infertility in women. The most common cause is an ovulation disorder, where the release of a mature egg from the ovary is prevented. Or, without enough progesterone, the fetus is then unable to attach to the uterus.

The fertility drugs that are commonly prescribed to women can produce between a 20-60% pregnancy rate but are usually accompanied with unwanted side effects such as abdominal tenderness, weight gain, bloating and nausea.

How Acupuncture Can Help Fertility Using an All-Natural Approach

Acupuncture can increase your fertility by the reduction of stress in your body, increasing blood flow to your reproductive organs, and through balancing the endocrine system. The goal of acupuncture fertility treatment is not only to get pregnant, but to stay pregnant and have a healthy baby. Acupuncture can also help to provide a better blood flow to your ovaries and uterus, thus in turn creating a better chance for an egg to be fully nourished and carried out to term.

By helping to reduce stress and cortisol, this helps to alter your brain’s neurochemical balance back to where it should be, as well as other key players, such as the balance in your pituitary gland. If your thyroid is over or under functioning, acupuncture once again can help to restore balance in your body. If you have spasmed tubes, then good news awaits- acupuncture can help to de-spasm tubes, though blocked tubes are a much more complicated situation.

However, acupuncture can help with a wide variety of reasons overall that may be the cause of why you can’t get pregnant. Furthermore, it can help you once you DO get pregnant, by alleviating morning sickness, aches, pains, anxiety preparation for childbirth, and many others on your exciting journey to finally birth your new child!