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Acupuncture & Fertility FAQ

  1. What does Chinese Medicine include?

  2. How does TCM help infertility?

  3. What is acupuncture?

  4. How does acupuncture help fertility?

  5. Is there any proof that acupuncture works for fertility?

  6. Who should consider acupuncture for infertility?

  7. Can Chinese Medicine help Male Factor infertility?

  8. What is the treatment like?

  9. What is the procedure of the treatment?

  10. Are there any side effects from acupuncture?

  11. How does acupuncture support IVF?

  12. How many acupuncture treatments do I need during the IVF?

  13. What is involved in our natural fertility cure treatment?

  14. Will my insurance cover my acupuncture treatment?


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1. What does Chinese Medicine include?

TCM for infertility includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, diet, acupressure and lifestyle approaches.

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2. How does TCM help infertility?

Acupuncture stimulates the flow of intrinsic energy in the body, enhances the blood circulation to the pelvic region and benefits vital organ function. Chinese herbal formulas tonify (restore) kidney energy (renal and adrenal function) and nourish the deeper vital essence to help the body produce a healthy ovum. In addition, proper exercise, correct diet and a healthy life style all promote the flow of specific meridians and remove existing inner psychological frustration restoring your reproductive health, which helps you not only to conceive, but also to deliver a healthy, full term baby.

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3. What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient China healing technique involving the insertion of very thin needles into energy points. Chinese medicine believes that health is maintained by a balance of energy ("Qi"} and its movement along byways of energy ("meridians") in the body which can be regulated by placing needles at special points ("acupoints"} on the surface of the body. Manipulating the energy traffic thus restores and maintains the balance of energy essential to health. Modem science is attempting to establish the validity of acupuncture but meanwhile in 1979, the World Health Organization (WHO) already identified 47 conditions ranging from headaches to hiccups amenable to acupuncture treatment.

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4. How does acupuncture help fertility?

Acupuncture can be used to help women and men with infertility. In women, acupuncture can be used to improve ovarian reserve, enhance cervical mucus, improve the endometrial lining and implantation, and reduce the likelihood of miscarriage. In general, acupuncture can be effective in relieving stress. In men, it can serve to increase virility by strengthening the related kidney meridian, and research (S. Siterman et. al. "Effect of Acupuncture on Sperm Parameters of Males suffering from Subfertility related to low Sperm Quality" (Arch Androl volume 39, 1997, pages 155-161) has also shown that acupuncture can increase sperm count as well as motility.

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5. Is there any proof that acupuncture works for fertility?

There are a small number of studies on acupuncture improving sperm quality in some men. In the case of female infertility, several clinical trials have demonstrated usefulness. One study from the University of Heidelberg showed that acupuncture worked as well as clomiphene in inducing pregnancy in infertile women, while a more recent randomized controlled study from Germany, involving one hundred and sixty women, showed that acupuncture improved the clinical pregnancy rates from IVF by 60% (WE Paulus et al., "Influence of Acupuncture on the Pregnancy Rate in Patients who undergo Assisted Reproduction Therapy,” Fertility and Sterility, volume 77, April 2002, pages 721- 724). The recent landmark review ("Role of Acupuncture in the treatment of Female Infertility" in Fertility and Sterility, Volume 78, December 2002 pages 1149-1153) by the author, along with Drs. Chung and Rosenwaks from Cornell-Weill, identified that acupuncture can normalize the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, improve ovulation, and enhance pelvic blood flow which may help with implantation. Acupuncture may also help older women achieve pregnancy who have otherwise failed an average of two IVFS.

Medical Research Abstracts

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6. Who should consider acupuncture for infertility?

Acupuncture can be used with traditional treatment for women with fertility issues. Women who wish to try a less invasive treatment and who are young, with good ovarian reserve and without known correctable causes of infertility, could try acupuncture before attempting hormones or in-vitro fertilization (IVF).  

Otherwise, women with known thin uterine lining, poor cervical mucus, or poor ovarian reserve (elevated cycle day 3 FSH levels) may consider acupuncture as part of their treatment. It may also be used as an adjunct to IVF.

Women with unexplained infertility or hormonal imbalances, such as menstrual irregularities, PMS, PCOS, anovulation, POF, difficult implantation, endometriosis, Luteal Phase Defect and miscarriage, would be encouraged to seek relief from Acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The most frequent cause of unexplained infertility or hormonal imbalance is energy stagnation, which affects blood flow in the pelvic area. Many years of emotional stress, depression, frustration, overwork, and improper diet and lifestyle often play a major role in energy congestion.

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7. Can Chinese Medicine help Male Factor infertility?

Men suffer from infertility issues just as frequently as women. According to statistics from the National Infertility Association (an organization also known as RESOLVE), between 35 percent and 40 percent of infertility problems among couples are actually caused by male conditions. Several factors may be responsible for male infertility, including low sperm count, abnormal sperm shape and size, and reduced motility. Lifestyle, genetics, and physiological changes can also raise or lower male fertility levels, and can significantly affect a man's ability to produce offspring.

Previous research has shown that acupuncture can improve fertility levels in women. Fewer studies on male infertility have been conducted, although evidence suggests that acupuncture can have an effect on sperm production and quality, without causing any changes in behavior or sexual desire. A recent trial published in Fertility and Sterility has shown just how effective acupuncture can be in the treatment of this condition, leading to significant increases in the number of normal sperm and equally significant reductions in structural defects.

For thousands of years, and before Western medicine came to China, the male was the dominant person in China and the older Chinese generations needed to have male children in the next generation of the family tree to keep the family big so the parents could have somebody to take care of them. From generation to generation the use of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture was used more and more with very good outcomes, and was a very effective way to improve male factor infertility so that these males could continue their legacy by having more offspring.

Articles on Male Factor Infertility

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8. What is the treatment like?

After reviewing the patient's medical situation and history and taking his/her pulse and an exam to determine his/her internal energy state, thin sterile and disposable acupuncture needles are inserted into the skin along the energy channels based on the patient's diagnosis. The patient then lies still for fifteen to thirty minutes with the needles in place and listen to relaxing music. Most patients feel a deep sense of relaxation and usually take a nap during the treatment.

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9. What is the procedure of the treatment?

The initial phase of treatment involves regulating the menstrual cycle by clearing the congestion in the pelvic cavity, and nourishing the deeper vitality.

Treatments are usually once or twice a week and treatment cycles are optimally three months at a time depending on circumstances.

This phase typically takes 2 to 3 months or more depending on the nature of the complaint, trauma, toxins from medications, genetic influences, lifetime habits, and other illnesses. Within this phase, most women will become fertile and open for conception. You will also benefit from regularity of periods, bright red blood flow without clots, minimal or no menstrual cramping and breast tenderness, better emotional balance, enriching sleep, warm hands and feet, and much more energy. Once conception occurs, second phase treatment increases the probability of a full term pregnancy and decreases the possibility of miscarriage.

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10. Are there any side effects from acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a very safe procedure, although placing the needle can potentially cause infection, bleeding, bruising, pain, or even organ puncture when performed by inexperienced person. The published complication rate is somewhere from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000, which is very low. Some patients have an idiosyncratic fainting reaction to needles and/or are fearful of needles. In these cases, the patients should be evaluated individually in order to determine if they should be candidates for this treatment.

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11. How does acupuncture support IVF?

Acupuncture can strengthen and balance one’s general health, affect the autonomic nervous system, which is involved in the control of muscles and glands, and could therefore relax the uterus, increase the uterine blood flow and make the lining of the uterus more receptive to receiving an embryo. German researchers have increased success rates by almost 50% in women having IVF (Fertility and Sterility, April 2002 issue). It means more hope, fewer cycles, and a shorter wait for what you most desire: a beautiful, healthy baby.

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12. How many acupuncture treatments do I need during the IVF?

We recommend patients have acupuncture 2-3 times per week, four weeks before the IVF continuing until the embryo transfer.

We offer a free initial consultation and treatment. During the first visit, she will take a detailed medical history related to infertility; review the details of your menstrual cycle and blood flow during menstruation; gain a thorough understanding of your goals; and examine your whole system through tongue, pulse and palpation. During this process, we often discover many possible factors that can influence both conception and pregnancy, problems that have not yet shown up as a symptom, and/or subtle signs of imbalance that indicate future illness. We put all these composites together and provide you with a clear personalized assessment and optimal treatment plan.

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13. What is involved in our natural fertility cure treatment?

Having many years experience in the treatment of women’s health issues we fully recognize the relationship between a variety of stressful emotions and infertility. She truly believes that negative emotions play a major role in causing hormonal imbalances and other related problems associated with female reproduction, including anovulation, menstrual irregularities, PMS, and endometriosis. Indeed, one of the main focuses of her treatment of infertility is to balance mind and body, help her patients reclaim their lives and spirits, and lead them to improve their overall health and well-being.

In addition to infertility treatment, we often teach the patients how to chart their temperature, monitor the texture of cervical secretions and identify the timing of ovulation, so that they can recognize their own patterns; have a better chance of predicting their most fertile periods and thereby helping them to conceive. We encourage the patients to pay special attention to their menstrual cycles in order to help them determine their own fertility profile. She believes the method of charting basal body temperature and cervical fluid indications, to not only be a natural, scientifically validated aid to conception, but one which can also promote excellent overall gynecological health.

Our goal is to offer new hope through natural, holistic fertility treatment and gynecological care, bringing experience and compassion to your quest to conceive - helping your dream becomes a reality.

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14. Will my insurance cover my acupuncture treatment? 

Health plans vary between insurance companies. Many plans cover all or some portion of acupuncture. On your first visit we will be happy to take your insurance information and determine your level of benefits within a week. If your insurance does not cover acupuncture, we offer different payment structures for you to choose from.

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If you still have any questions please feel free to contact us.

 

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