I first became interested in the effects of acupuncture on fertility long before I decided to become and acupuncturist myself. At the time one of the ladies I worked with was having problems with habitual miscarriages. She and her husband had been able to have a child some years earlier with Western medical intervention, but had decided that the cost made that method out of reach for another attempt. She started seeing my acupuncturist for extreme stress and digestive disorders. About 6 months later she became pregnant again and was waiting for the inevitable miscarriage. It never came. She was able to carry her second child full term and delivered a healthy baby boy.
When I finally began studying acupuncture, I began to understand that none of the systems within the body are independent. They are all integrally linked to all other systems and when one system becomes stressed, they will all eventually suffer. Often patients have been given the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility". In Oriental Medicine there is no need to give a clinical diagnosis, only a constitutional diagnosis. When working with infertility patients my goal is not to get them pregnant. My goal is to help them be healthy enough to get and stay pregnant through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutritional advice.
In my practice, I work with both men and women in all stages of trying to get pregnant, from those trying naturally with timed intercourse, to those doing IUI's and IVF's and everything in between. I also provide healthy pregnancy treatments through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and late term treatments designed to prepare the mother for delivery.
How does acupuncture help with fertility? There are four main areas where acupuncture can influence fertility: Stress reduction, hormone regulation, blood flow to reproductive organs, and general health.
Stress Reduction and Hormone Regulation: We are exposed many different types of stress daily. Unfortunately, our bodies respond to all of those stresses in the same way, with biological 'Fight or Flight' responses. This floods the body with stress hormones, and can sometimes inhibit or unbalance the production of reproductive hormones. Add to that the stress of dealing with infertility and you've got a recipe for big problems. Acupuncture helps to trigger opposing forces within the body to bring the hormone production back into balance. Many of my patients tell me that they feel much more calm and relaxed while going through acupuncture therapy.
Blood Flow to Reproductive Organs: As we age, the small capillaries that deliver blood to the ovaries and uterus start to diminish. This means that ovaries become smaller and are less able to nourish the follicles within, and that the uterine lining begins to thin and become less smooth. Acupuncture can stimulate greater blood flow to these areas and improve overall reproductive organ health.
General Health: There is no part of the body that is an island to itself. It is all interdependent. When looking for ways to improve reproductive health, we must also look problems in other organ systems. Digestion, inflammation, and weight can play significant roles in how healthy our reproductive systems are.
To set up an initial consultation to see how I can help you achieve better health, please go to the Treatment Locations page for contact information.
When I finally began studying acupuncture, I began to understand that none of the systems within the body are independent. They are all integrally linked to all other systems and when one system becomes stressed, they will all eventually suffer. Often patients have been given the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility". In Oriental Medicine there is no need to give a clinical diagnosis, only a constitutional diagnosis. When working with infertility patients my goal is not to get them pregnant. My goal is to help them be healthy enough to get and stay pregnant through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutritional advice.
In my practice, I work with both men and women in all stages of trying to get pregnant, from those trying naturally with timed intercourse, to those doing IUI's and IVF's and everything in between. I also provide healthy pregnancy treatments through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and late term treatments designed to prepare the mother for delivery.
How does acupuncture help with fertility? There are four main areas where acupuncture can influence fertility: Stress reduction, hormone regulation, blood flow to reproductive organs, and general health.
Stress Reduction and Hormone Regulation: We are exposed many different types of stress daily. Unfortunately, our bodies respond to all of those stresses in the same way, with biological 'Fight or Flight' responses. This floods the body with stress hormones, and can sometimes inhibit or unbalance the production of reproductive hormones. Add to that the stress of dealing with infertility and you've got a recipe for big problems. Acupuncture helps to trigger opposing forces within the body to bring the hormone production back into balance. Many of my patients tell me that they feel much more calm and relaxed while going through acupuncture therapy.
Blood Flow to Reproductive Organs: As we age, the small capillaries that deliver blood to the ovaries and uterus start to diminish. This means that ovaries become smaller and are less able to nourish the follicles within, and that the uterine lining begins to thin and become less smooth. Acupuncture can stimulate greater blood flow to these areas and improve overall reproductive organ health.
General Health: There is no part of the body that is an island to itself. It is all interdependent. When looking for ways to improve reproductive health, we must also look problems in other organ systems. Digestion, inflammation, and weight can play significant roles in how healthy our reproductive systems are.
To set up an initial consultation to see how I can help you achieve better health, please go to the Treatment Locations page for contact information.
