Acupuncture for fertility is considered as a natural medicine remedy wherein very thin, sterilized needles are being implanted into certain points in the body which are found on meridians or energy channels. Energy channels or meridians are pathways lying in the inner and outer of the human body. When the acupuncture points are needled, specific bodily functions could be regulate in the process. Acupuncture could help treat many of health conditions which would include hyper and hypo thyroidism.
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Acupuncture has been used in order to treat fertility disorders. The combined use of
acupuncture and herbal treatments can solve unnatural levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), repeated miscarriage, idiopathic infertility, hyperprolactinemia that is not prolactinoma related, polycystic ovarian syndrome (also known as PCOS), male factor infertility like DNA-fragmentation in the sperm and the luteal phase defect.
Acupuncture for fertility would be able to boost the follicular and ovarian functions. It can also boost the blood circulation to the endometrium guiding the formation of thick, rich uterine lining.
In accordance to the traditional Chinese medicine or TCM), body channels where chi (which means energy) flows are called the meridians. These channels could be blocked. Obstructed channels could end up in chi heavily flowing in several areas and chi not flowing at all in the other areas. Those who
practice acupuncture say the pain you are feeling in various areas is in actuality a signal that the chi channels in the said areas are blocked.
The acupuncture points needled to solve infertility are located in the conception vessel or also known as the ren mai meridian. There are twenty-four known points in the ren mai channel. They are identified as the points RN1 through RN24. Some acupuncturists also call such points CN1 up to CN24. The points in the ren mai meridian form a line from the anus (RN1 or CN1) up to the trunk then to the chin (RN24 or CN24). There are times when the practitioners may focus on points in other portions of the body, such as that in the feet or hand, due to complex connections within the body.
When the time comes when you discern that you are pregnant or after an embryo transfer or insemination, you must stop undergoing acupuncture. The uterus, when provoked during the time of
pregnancy, could bring on contractions, pre-mature labor and miscarriage as well. The acupuncturist should really avoid putting the needles in the abdomino-pelvic area. The six acupuncture points must be avoided are the Bladder 60, Bladder 67, Gallbladder 21, Large Intestine 4, Stomach 12, Spleen 6 and all the other points located on the lower abdomen.
Research conducted by Stener-Victorin along with others from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Center, Scandinavia and University of Gothenburg proved it’s best for the ladies to get acupuncture therapy after and before an embryo transfer even though post embryo transfer acupuncture therapy should avoid specific points in the ladys body. Clinical studies done by the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness prove that combining acupuncture, traditional medical techniques and herbal remedies is considered as the best means to boost up the fertility. But, conducted studies have shown that the women will sometimes conceive while utilizing only herbal medicines and acupuncture therapies, minus medical arbitrations (American Pregnancy Association, 2011).
In the year 2002, a German research stated that acupuncture will be able to help treat infertility. Of the one hundred sixty women who had In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), 50 percent also underwent acupuncture treatment while the rest of the fifty percent only had IVF.
Pregnancy rates were higher among those who had undergone both IVF and acupuncture treatment (Shetty, 2011).
Acupuncture for fertility would range from a few hundred bucks up to thousands of bucks depending upon the fertility center and period of the treatment. You need to pay for this yourself because
acupuncture therapy is not covered by health insurance plans often. There are insurance companies that would provide complimentary medicine cover. So, it is quite advisable to check with your health insurance firm if they do and if not it would pay to search around for another company which does.