Written by Integrative Today | Medically Reviewed by Deborah Farley | Updated on
9% of men and 10% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 have reported issues with fertility. About 15% of couples will struggle with getting pregnant naturally.
If you’re trying to work at getting pregnant and it hasn’t happened yet, you know how frustrating that can feel for you and your partner.
You may be exploring your options to help get to pregnancy. You might be wondering about acupuncture for fertility and if it can increase your chances of pregnancy.
Read on to learn more about acupuncture and how it might impact your chances of fertility.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is often used in traditional Chinese medicine and is used more and more as part of treatments in Western medicine.
During an acupuncture treatment, tiny needles are inserted into the body through the skin at strategic points in the body.
The goal of acupuncture is to balance the life force or flow of energy in the body. Your body has meridians or pathways where this energy flows.
When acupuncture practitioner inserts the needles, it’s believed there will be a rebalancing of energy in these meridians.
How Can Acupuncture Treatments Help With Fertility?
Remember, acupuncture aims to stimulate the nerve endings below the skin’s surface. The different acupuncture points in the body are connected to other organs in the body.
So, during acupuncture for fertility, the needles are placed at the acupuncture points relating to the reproductive organs and the nervous system.
The goal is to increase blood flow to the ovaries by inhibiting activity in the sympathetic nervous system. This system often triggers stress, which can also impact blood flow and fertility.
Acupuncture can also work to help increase the thickness of the endometrial lining (lining of the uterus). This helps with the embryo’s implantation by increasing blood flow to the area.
Benefits of Acupuncture for Fertility
Fertility acupuncture is getting a lot of attention for its many benefits.
One significant benefit is that it helps to balance out the hormones in the body for both men and women. This allows the body to produce the right amount of hormones to help with conception.
Another acupuncture benefit for women is regulating the menstrual cycle. This helps promote ovulation and normal hormone production because the brain and ovaries communicate more openly.
The increase in blood flow from acupuncture to the ovaries and the uterus helps with the implantation process for women.
It’s also possible for men that acupuncture helps to increase sperm count and sperm motility.
The stress of hoping for a pregnancy is very real for couples, especially women. So much so that it can impact your overall health.
If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, you know how awaiting a pregnancy can impact your stress levels. Acupuncture can greatly assist in managing the anxiety and stress associated with fertility.
Consider Acupuncture for Fertility
Acupuncture for fertility could make a difference in your journey to getting pregnant. It can help you address your stress as you await a pregnancy.
To learn more about our acupuncture clinic and possible acupuncture treatments, or to set up an appointment, contact us today.
Meet Our Expert: Deborah Farley
Founder of Acupuncture Works,LLC in Lynchburg Virginia. Deborah is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Medicine as a Licensed Acupuncturist (L. Ac.).
She is also licensed by the State of Florida as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM). Deborah is a Diplomate of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
She graduated from the East West College of Natural Medicine with a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine and a Bachelor’s Degree of Professional Health Sciences.
