Acupuncture originated in the Orient and has been used as part of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) for an extremely long time. Bascially, it’s the technique of inserting and manipulating very fine needles into specific points on the body. It’s used to treat anything from pain to complex medical conditions. Many women will swear by the benefits of acupuncture for many things, including infertility, but does it really work?
What Acupuncture Does
Acupuncture is thought to affect blood flow in a beneficial way. It can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining. Given that it helps regulate blood flow, some believe that blood flow is therefore increased to the vital organs and thereby hormone levels are regulated. There is also a suggestion that acupuncture improves ovarian and follicular function.
Recent Studies
There is growing evidence that acupuncture can improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF). There are an increasing number of fertility specialists and centers offering it as a part of their IVF treatments. With acupuncture, the embryo transfer process in IVF was shown to have significant improvements resulting more often in a pregnancy, as shown in the recent study by Stener-Victorin et al from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Centre, Scandinavia and the University of Gothenburg.
Acupuncture can also be used to treat fertility problems like ‘spasmed’ tubes. Although blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture, spasmed tubes are thought to be ‘de-spasmed’ with acupuncture.
Watch Acupuncture Being Performed
Watch this video to see acupuncture being performed.
Just like physical therapy, acupuncture is really a process designed to help the body to heal itself over time. Women can therefore be treated for three to four months prior to an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. Women are also encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer, inline with the Swedish study mentioned above.
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