KissMeGoodnight Article Series: Fertility
Fertility & Conceiving A Baby Explained

Is Acupuncture A Good Alternative Treatment For Infertility?

Many people are getting interested in the relationship between acupuncture and fertility. In fact, acupuncture is now the most popular infertility treatment in the alternative health market. But what is acupuncture, what can you expect from it as a treatment for infertility and does it actually work? These are questions that deserve some consideration before you go looking for an acupuncturist to treat you.

Acupuncture and fertility have long been associated in Chinese medicine. This Far Eastern system of health treatments is based on the belief that the body is made up of energy channels or meridians which allow energy to circulate around the body. These meridians may become blocked, leading to imbalances which in turn cause health problems.

Acupuncturists typically use very thin needles inserted into these meridians at particular points to remove the blockages, allowing the energy to move freely again and, if successful, restoring the body to its normal healthy state. Sometimes, instead of needles they will burn moxa on those points, causing a sensation of heat which can have the same effect.

So how are acupuncture and fertility linked? Well, some studies have shown this treatment to be effective in many cases of infertility in both men and women. The problem is that nobody knows exactly how it works in scientific terms. This means that doctors and insurance companies are reluctant to accept it as a legitimate treatment for fertility. It is not enough for them to know that it works for many people - they want to see proof of how it works.

One of the arguments used by insurance companies for not covering acupuncture costs is that the effects may not be direct. Their view is that acupuncture and similar alternative health treatments work by relaxing the body, making the person feel better and reducing stress.

Stress is a contributory factor in many cases of infertility. You just have to think of all the cases of people who were trying desperately for a baby without success, and then after many years they stopped trying - and suddenly conceived. Stress is a vicious cycle because being stressed about getting pregnant will actually make it harder to conceive. In many cases, getting pregnant is one of those things where the harder you try, the more difficult it is.

But if reducing stress is the only reason why acupuncture can be successful as a fertility treatment, then it is not clear why it is so popular. There are many other methods of stress reduction which should be equally effective and are probably cheaper, such as meditation, light exercise, yoga and even laughter.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that acupuncture is more effective than these other treatments for certain types of infertility. It seems to work best for functional problems like irregularities in the menstrual cycle, inflammations and hormone imbalances. It is not so effective with problems that would respond to surgery such as blockages in the sperm ducts or fallopian tubes.

So before you make an appointment with an acupuncturist it is a good idea to take some tests at the doctor's office to find out what is causing your infertility. You may discover that the problem is easily corrected with surgery, or perhaps that it is not you but your partner who has fertility issues. If not, you may want to explore the relationship between acupuncture and fertility more deeply by experiencing the treatment for yourself.

Click here if you or someone you love is struggling to get pregnant (or simply want to increase the odds). Don't let anyone tell you that you cannot have kids naturally. It's my KissMeGoodnight recommendation.

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by KissMeGoodnight.com : 2011

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