Acupuncture and Fertility

A Great Way To Use Your Acupuncture Benefits

For many women, especially those wanting to start a family, it is an extremely important question: can Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture increase fertility?  The answer is a resounding yes.  While acupuncture alone may not ensure increased fertility, a 2012 study from Tel Aviv University found that when used at the same time as Western fertility treatments, acupuncture increases conception rates by 26% compared to those who used Western treatments only.

Acupuncture can greatly increase chances of conception

Considering how acupuncture works, and how it helps increase the flow of energy in the body, increasing fertility makes a lot of sense.  There are over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, connecting to 14 major pathways (or meridians).  These pathways carry a flow of energy (qi) between the body’s surface and its internal organs.  When these pathways are blocked, damage can occur, including infertility.

Increasing Flow

By clearing blocked pathways, acupuncture improves the flow of energy throughout the body.  For example, acupuncture allows for better blood flow to the reproductive organs (primarily the ovaries and the uterus), which in turn increases the chances that an egg will be provided with the proper nutrients to grow.

Acupuncture can also help in increasing the flow to, and the balancing of the body’s Endocrine System.  The Endocrine System is vital to the body, because it not only influences almost every cell and organ in the body, it also regulates tissue function, body growth and development, metabolism, sexual function, and reproduction.

Balancing Hormones

Hormonal imbalance is one of the lead cause of female infertility. There are a variety of hormone abnormality directly contribute to infertility, examples are: High levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), abnormal levels of estradiol, an important for of estrogen, insufficient levels of luteinizing hormone (LH). Acupuncture can help to regulate these hormones and corrects the imbalance.

Additionally, acupuncture normalizes the dysfunction of the Hypothalamus- Pituitary- Ovarian axis. This can improves the reproductive system function, particularly ovarian function, it creates more follicles and better egg quality, enhances fertility.

Decreasing Stress

Stress, in its many forms, can wreak havoc on the body, and can actually impede and lower fertility levels.  There is a direct correlation between stress and fertility: your body’s stress hormones can reduce your body’s fertility hormones (progesterone). And ironically, even the stress about being able to conceive can affect a person’s ability to conceive!

Stress can affect fertility levels

Stress also affects the body’s glandular system.  The balance between hypothalamus, pituitary, and reproductive glands is a fragile one, and too much stress can throw balance off, and prevent a woman from ovulating properly.

Luckily, acupuncture greatly reduce your stress levels, and by doing so, can increase your fertility levels.  And acupuncture can begin at any time, even during pre-existing fertility treatments.

Lifestyle, stress, hormones, glands – these all affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant.  The human body is made up of a delicate balance of systems and energy.  While Western fertility drugs can sometimes increase fertility, they do come with unwanted side effects.  Acupuncture, when used by itself or in conjunction with fertility drugs, naturally balances your body’s systems and get it into optimum condition for conception.

Acupuncture and Fertility – Vancouver Acupuncture Clinic

Electra Health location: 970 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Open 7 days a week from 8 am to 8 pm
604-685-4325 (HEAL)