Main Menu
If you are eager to have a child but are struggling to get pregnant, you’re no doubt feeling a whirlwind of emotions: frustrated, frightened, and upset, just to name a few! Whether you’re just beginning to worry or already undergoing fertility treatments, you should consider utilizing the incredible power of acupuncture to support and strengthen your likelihood of pregnancy.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture first arose in traditional Chinese Medicine nearly 3,000 years ago and served as a significant form of medicine in the Chinese civilization. The main purpose of acupuncture is to improve wellbeing by stimulating specific “acupoints,” or locations on your body. A fine, sterile needle is inserted into the skin at each acupoint to shift the body into repair mode so it can heal itself.
Why Does Acupuncture Help Fertility?
Acupuncture can support fertility in a number of ways. First, it minimizes stress. This is a vitally important contribution to fertility because stress commonly restricts fertility hormones like progesterone. Stress can stop an otherwise healthy body from functioning as it should, and acupuncture helps to reverse those effects.
In addition, acupuncture can improve blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. Better blood flow equates to a thicker uterus lining and increased chances of conception. Similarly, it’s believed that acupuncture can be targeted to activate the brain to release important pregnancy hormones to stimulate the ovaries, adrenal glands, and other reproductive organs. Research shows that acupuncture can even boost male fertility by increasing healthy sperm.
Studies also demonstrate the power of acupuncture to supplement fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization. Whether the acupuncture begins prior to taking the preparatory IVF drugs or during IVF cycles, it can improve the likelihood of pregnancy and even prevent side effects like nausea and fatigue.
Does Fertility Acupuncture Have Risks?
Acupuncture is one of the few treatments that is considered safe regardless of a person’s medical history. In fact, more is better than less because, like physical therapy, the benefits of acupuncture build upon each other. Of course, acupuncture should only ever be completed by a trained and certified specialist.