Are you on that path where you have numerous visits to your fertility specialist but with no positive results? Do you feel it is leading you nowhere close to your goal of conceiving or getting pregnant? Well, it must be quite frustrating not to be able to have your offspring despite trying all possible treatments.
It’s time you get acquainted with acupuncture for fertility and improve your possibilities of becoming a proud parent. An interesting fact is that this Chinese treatment works for both men and women with infertility issues.
- A study on American couples suggests that out of every 100 couples, 12 to 13 couples experience trouble in becoming pregnant.
- As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 American women out of every 100 between the ages of 15 to 44 years have difficulty getting pregnant or keeping the pregnancy.
Can Acupuncture Actually Help Cure Fertility?
While talking about acupuncture for fertility(1), studies have shown that acupuncture is known for improving the potency of an individual. The technique is so popular right now that people who are trying to conceive, think about this measure at least for once.
It also helps in the decline of constant stress due to infertility and eventually relaxes the reproductive system, to provide an improved fertility rate.People who have undergone this procedure have claimed that the technique has enhanced their pregnancy rates, as well as their quality of life.
Studies show that many men who had infertility, due to unknown reasons and women who had the syndrome of polycystic ovary got some benefits out of this procedure. It is now present at many of the fertility clinics.
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Benefits of Acupuncture for Fertility
Benefits of acupuncture for fertility are ample. The procedure itself carries forward the imbalance in the energy flow across the body and converts it into stimulations of energy across an individual.
Today, it is true that several men and women have infertility at today’s date. Both male and female reproductive systems are different, and acupuncture treats the imbalance of chemical substances or hormones across the body. Some of the acupuncture benefits are-
- This measure reluctantly clears up the passage of blood flow through the reproductive system and helps in generating the hormonal balances.
- Apart from the hormonal levels, it enhances the menstrual cycle, assists in keeping up a healthy lining of the uterus and maintaining a good quality of eggs (Ova) in women.
- For men, the measure acts as a multiplying agent for the sperm count.
- Apart from the enhanced sperm count, it also improvises the morphology and mobility of the sperm. These benefits are necessary to occur as they are responsible for successfully conceiving.
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What to Expect When You Take Acupuncture for Fertility for the First Time?
During an Acupuncture therapy, the acupuncturist uses alcohol to rub across the focused acupoints in the body, by swabbing them. The acupuncturist will ask you about your lifestyle and how you manage to do certain things. She/He will question you regarding the fertility issues. The procedure is not painful, but if it happens to be painful then consider talking to the acupuncturist about the pain.
You will have to lie down at the same posture for several minutes or an hour until the practitioner doesn’t alter the positions of the placed needles. After participating in the acupuncture treatment session for fertility(2), the practitioner will notify you about your current conditions and will prescribe you another meeting, if required.
[Also Read: Yoga for Fertility in Women]
What Are the Points Through Which Acupuncture for Fertility is Carried Out?
Following are the acupuncture points for fertility that are necessary to focus on and are present at different parts of the body. They help in carrying out the proper reproductive health of an individual. Rubbing on these points for one or two minutes can gradually improve the chances and rates of fertility.
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Ren 3 and Ren 4
Ren 3 is present at four centimeters below the belly button. Using the point usually generates regular and properly coordinated menstruation, improves the stamina of kidney and eradicates endometriosis and inflammation of the pelvic region. It is present three centimeters below the belly button and enhances the energy flow towards the uterus.
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Ren 12
Ren 12 has its position at the middle point between the sternum and the belly button. It helps in removing the toxic fluid accumulation in the uterus, urinary bladder or the Fallopian Tubes and never lets them stay for a long time in these.
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ST 30
It is present about five centimeters below the belly button and two centimeters away from the mid lining of the body. Stimulating this point supports ovulation and maintains the entire reproductive system.
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Epang II
It is present towards the outer side of the eyebrows. It lessens the Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in women and saves her from painful and irregular menstrual cycles.
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Liv 3
You can find this point between the big toe and the index toe at your feet. It provides benefits to the female reproductive system.
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CV 4
The conception vessel 4 helps with erectile problems, urinary incontinence, uro-reproductive issues and impotence in males. It is also known as Gate Origin and is present at four centimeters down the belly button.
Best Time for Women to Begin Acupuncture For Infertility Treatment
Women should start consulting an acupuncturist three months before seeking any procedure like In Vitro Fertilization or the Intrauterine Insemination. Having acupuncture sessions for fertility alongside a doctor’s prescribed curative therapy proves beneficial for women.
How Often Should One Have Acupuncture for Fertility?
The number of sessions fixed per week will be according to your condition and the practitioner’s analysis. Usually, how often acupuncture therapy for fertility should get carried out is never specified. It is always after the meeting, where the acupuncturist sees the scope of another meeting.
There are approximately one to three sessions per week, with each session lasting for an hour. Initially, for a few minutes the practitioner will ask specific questions regarding the procedure and then the next 20 to 40 minutes will be used in inserting and adjusting the needles.
When to Stop Acupuncture Treatment?
Studies somehow show that conception is possible by combining acupuncture(3) for pregnancy with herbal medicines without any interference of conventional medical techniques. There are high chances of facing a miscarriage in the first trimester during the pregnancy; that’s why some practitioners stop the sessions before that period to avoid miscarriage. But in some cases, to prevent miscarriage, the practitioner might stretch the meetings up to the twelve weeks of pregnancy.
How to Have Risk-Free Acupuncture for Fertility?
Specific points of acupuncture are never touched when there’s a case of pregnancy or artificial insemination. Acupuncturists are not allowed to insert needles in the abdominal area in cases of artificial insemination. These acupoints should be avoided in such cases – Stomach 12, Large Intestine 4, Bladder 60, Bladder 67, Spleen 6, Gall Bladder 21 and points in the lower part of the abdomen.
There are a minimal number of risks in acupuncture treatment for fertility. If the practitioner is not trained well then, the patient might get a miscarriage due to improper use of the needles or improper use of acupoints. There are high chances of infection if sterile needles are not used. That is why only a well-trained acupuncturist can treat a risk-free treatment.
Acupuncture Side Effects and Precautions One Must Know About
The precautions and side effects that you should take care of while taking acupuncture for enhancing fertility are –
- The practitioner must be a well-trained professional. The acupuncturist should know about the entire acupoints well.
- People, under medical treatment or curative therapy, pregnant, using a pacemaker machine or having blood and bruise disorder, must consult a doctor first, before heading towards an acupuncture treatment.
- It is essential to have sterilized needles to avoid infections.
Acupuncture for fertility problems is now widely accepted and performed. This technique has helped various individuals in dealing with infertility issues. Apart from any other medical treatment, this technique shows good results regarding the problem and has the least amount of side effects. It may not cure infertility, but it can surely enhance the potency to a greater extent.
