Acupuncture for Infertility
What is infertility?
Infertility is defined as the inability of getting pregnant after 1 year of unprotected sex. If no pregnancy occurs after 1 year, experts suggest seeking medical care. In cases where the female is over 35 years of age, medical care should begin after 6 months of trying to conceive without success.
What are the causes of infertility?
More and more women are delaying starting a family as their careers take priority. The age of first maternal birth is on rise. As women age, fertility decreases. Women in their late 30’s are about ½ as fertile as they were in their 20’s. Male fertility is typically not affected until after age 501.
Other possible causes of infertility:2
- PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
- Hormone dysregulation due to hypothalamus or pituitary gland dysfunction
- Structural issues with ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus or cervix
- Endometriosis which can affect the uterine lining and prevent implantation
- Low sperm count, low quality of sperm or issues with motility
- Unexplained causes
How does acupuncture help infertility?
Many studies have been done on the effect of acupuncture in reproductive medicine. Here are a few examples of what some of the studies have found:
- Acupuncture can help normalize hormonal function 4
- Acupuncture has been shown to improve ovulation in women with PCOS 3
- Acupuncture can increase uterine blood flow which may improve embryo implantation 3
- Acupuncture reduces stress which affects blood flow and fertility 3,4
- Acupuncture for the relief of pain caused by oocyte removal for IVF 4
- Acupuncture for Improving IVF success 4
- Acupuncture for managing issues with ovulation 4
- Acupuncture to Increase motility, quality of sperm and sperm count 4
Infertility can be a disappointing, frustrating and heartbreaking experience. At Castle Pines Acupuncture we are here to help you find a resolution to your fertility frustrations. Schedule an appointment now to talk about how we can help you successfully start a family.
References
1. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in collaboration with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Electronic address: ASRM@asrm.org; Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in collaboration with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril. 2017 Jan;107(1):52-58. doi: c10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.09.029. Epub 2016 Oct 26. PMID: 28228319.
2. Female Infertility (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354308
3. Ng EH, So WS, Gao J, Wong YY, Ho PC. The role of acupuncture in the management of subfertility. Fertil Steril. 2008 Jul;90(1):1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.094. Epub 2008 Apr 28. PMID: 18440533.
4. So EW, Ng EH. Acupuncture in reproductive medicine. Womens Health (Lond). 2010 Jul;6(4):551-63. doi: 10.2217/whe.10.39. PMID: 20597619.