Difficulty in conceiving is on the rise.
Advanced reproductive technologies (ART) – such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro insemination (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) – are being suggested for younger and younger couples. The degree of intervention increases from IUI to IMSI. The use of these technologies is appealing to one in five couples struggling to take a baby home after a year of trying to conceive (TTC), though financially unattainable for many to pursue.
If trends continue as they have, infertility will be experienced by up to 7.7 million American women in 2025, up from 5.1 million in 1995; it is extrapolated that sperm counts for Western men will hit zero in 2045. This means the median sperm count will be zero, indicating that about 50% of men will not produce sperm, and the other 50% will have very low counts. The median sperm count is 47 million per milliliter, down from 99 million per milliliter in 1973. It has been shown that when counts are below 40 million per milliliter, it takes longer to conceive, and greater than 20 million motile sperm is best for natural conception.
With these alarming predictions of reproductive health decline, how can a couple improve their chances of conception without expensive and invasive procedures Acupuncture!
Acupuncture, Really?!
Yes! Acupuncture, the practice of inserting ultra-thin needles into specific points along energy channels on the body, has been in practice for centuries. These channels are in both the exterior and interior of the body. When specific points are stimulated, body functions can be regulated. Everything from heart rate to hormone production can be regulated by acupuncture.
Acupuncturists select unique points for individual treatments from ten questions that identify how energy functions in the body, feeling six pulse points on the wrists, and looking at the tongue. These three simple tools (listening, looking, and feeling) have offered adequate information for over 3,000 years to allow successful treatments of numerous ailments, including lack of conception. Balancing the body’s energy flow allows acupuncture to successfully correct unwanted symptoms.
Acupuncture and Fertility
Acupuncture treats undesirable symptom patterns, not labeled disease states. For example, if diagnosed with anovulation (the absence of ovulation), an acupuncturist would focus on the energy system supporting the ability to ovulate – not the lab test saying you are progesterone deficient or have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Symptom patterns allow the practitioner to address the overall flow and quality of energy throughout the body, not just focus on one dysfunctional system away from the uniqueness of the rest of your body. Continuing with the example, if you are not ovulating, you could have a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis of blood deficiency or blood stagnation with phlegm. Both patterns can cause the absence of a period, though treating these patterns with acupuncture would be quite different.
Acupuncture has been shown to treat infertility by improving ovarian, follicular, and testicular function, increasing blood flow to the endometrium, thickening the uterine lining, reducing uterine tube spasms, and balancing sex and stress hormones. Fertility conditions treated with acupuncture include recurrent pregnancy loss, PCOS, luteal phase defect, elevated FSH, sperm abnormalities, thyroid disease, and stress. When used in combination with ART, acupuncture has shown an increased success rate of up to 60%.
Treatments: When, and How Often?
Acupuncture is best done over a period of time with more than one or two treatments. It is most effective for patients to have acupuncture for 3–4 months while trying to conceive, whether naturally or with ART. Though studies show improvements in outcomes when acupuncture treatments are performed immediately before and after IVF transfer, employing acupuncture prior to the day of transfer is a better approach. Balancing energy in the body is a process that cannot be accomplished in one or two treatments; therefore, using acupuncture as a complementary treatment to IVF is best started a few months before a transfer cycle.
Eggs and sperm develop to mature form over three months; therefore, having acupuncture during this development improves the overall function, health, and quality of the egg and sperm that will develop into your baby. Female partners are encouraged to have treatments during the follicular and luteal phases to allow the most benefit in balancing the energy changes throughout the month. Male partners are encouraged to have acupuncture as well, especially if stress is contributing to poor sperm analysis parameters.
Once pregnancy occurs, acupuncture through the first trimester is helpful to prevent miscarriage. It is suggested to continue acupuncture through at least the week of previous pregnancy loss if miscarriage is a concern. Acupuncture in early pregnancy can reduce symptoms, including nausea, insomnia, fatigue, constipation, and more. Acupuncture is considered safe throughout the entire pregnancy and can help turn a breech baby or initiate labor in post-due date pregnancies.
As a safe, effective, long-standing therapy, acupuncture can help couples improve their pregnancy outcome, overall health, and the health of their baby. If you are just starting to embark on the journey of becoming a parent or have been through all the ART services without success, consider acupuncture to reduce your time to pregnancy and improve the success rate of your pregnancy.
Dr. Nicole Kerr, ND, LAc, operates an all-natural fertility clinic in Wallingford, CT, Fertility Oasis.
At Fertility Oasis, Dr. Kerr teaches her patients the importance of preconception care and all treatment options available to couples struggling to conceive. Male and female infertility factors are addressed by Dr. Kerr to offer comprehensive fertility care to her patients.
Fertility Oasis, 857 N Main St Ext Suite 1, Wallingford CT, 203.265.0459.
www.fertilityoasis.com