Acupuncture treatments for infertility

Acupuncture and herbal medicine have shown to be very effective in the treatment of women’s health issues. Of all the areas of Western medicine, specialists in obstetrics and gynecology tend to be the most receptive to alternative health care treatments. From infertility to morning sickness, more and more women are turning to acupuncture and herbal medicine for help with great success.

Infertility is more common than you may think

Millions of women have experienced difficulty getting pregnant. According to the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 12 percent of women (7.3 million) in the United States aged 15-44 had difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term in 2002*. Many of the current Western treatments involve invasive procedures, numerous medications and hormone injections. The treatments are often very expensive, time consuming and both physically and emotionally draining.

There are a number of health issues that can increase the risk of fertility problems in women, such as endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), amenorrhea (lack of a menstrual period), irregular periods and painful periods (dysmenorrhea). It is often difficult for conventional medicine to pinpoint the reason why women suffer from these problems. As a treatment, oral contraceptives are often prescribed in order to force the body in to having a regular menstrual cycle or to manipulate the body in to only having a few menstrual cycles per year. However, this is often just a temporary solution because many women who discontinue the use of oral contraceptives go back to experiencing their original symptoms.

Chinese medicine can help with infertility

According to Chinese medical theory, infertility is most commonly attributed to imbalances in the body’s regulation of blood and Qi. Qi can be thought of as an intangible energy or a driving force within us that enables our bodies to function as they do. In most cases of infertility, there is a deficiency of both Qi and blood. Deficiencies occur naturally as we age, but also can be caused by external factors such as lack of sleep, stress, over-working, over-exercising, and poor diet (pretty much all the bad things we subject ourselves to!). Acupuncture and herbal medicine work to tonify the deficiencies to bring the body back to a state of balance. Once balanced, the body’s natural processes can function normally.

If a woman is already undergoing fertility treatments, acupuncture and herbal medicine are a great way to supplement the process. By creating a healthy, well-balanced environment, the success rate of implantation and full-term pregnancy increases. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can also address the side-effects associated with fertility treatments.

If you would like to know more about how Chinese medicine can help you, please feel free to contact me.


* Womenshealth.gov. May 1, 2006. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. May 13, 2009. Click here to read.