How Can Acupuncture Help Support Your Fertility Journey?
Whether you are looking to conceive naturally, or are in the process of IVF (Invitro Fertilization), acupuncture is a wonderful modality that may help to increase your success in achieving conception and having a successful pregnancy, labor, and post-partum rebalancing.
We understand that this can be a deeply emotional process and can cause stress for many people who are experiencing difficulty conceiving. The relationship between stress and conception is something we place large importance on while we are determining acupuncture points and treatment recommendations for our patients trying to conceive.
This post will explore how acupuncture works to support fertility, what patients can expect in an appointment, and what points on your body we may use in an acupuncture session at Onyx Acupuncture & Integrative Health, a premier acupuncture clinic in Wheat Ridge, CO specializing in Women’s Health and fertility.
How Does Acupuncture for Fertility Work?
So a great place to start is understanding how acupuncture and Chinese medicine actually works! IVF and IUI are both western medicine fertility treatments steeped in rich academic and scientific basis. Luckily, there are multiple scientific studies of preliminary research that shows the effectiveness for treatment of infertility, for promoting fertility, and for regulating irregular menstrual cycles.
These studies demonstrate that when combined with Western treatments for infertility, like IVF and IUI, acupuncture is effective for increasing success in conception. Conception rates increased by 26 percent when acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbs and other Traditional Chinese medicine techniques were combined with Western medicine fertility treatments.
So how does it do that? Here are a few reasons:
Acupuncture works by regulating the menstrual cycle, increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, supporting nervous system regulation and reducing stress, and addressing other imbalances in the body like digestion or inflammation that may also be contributing to fertility challenges.
We work to address symptoms of imbalance in the menstrual cycle like painful cramping, extreme breast tenderness, mood swings, spotting, and clots in the blood. By doing so, the hormones become balanced and conception is more likely to occur.
Patients experiencing conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis often see many positive changes in their menstrual cycle including regulation of bleeding and reduction of symptoms associated with the menses.
Once conception is achieved, we help patients with many of the symptoms that come along with pregnancy like nausea, fatigue, constipation, bloating, and emotional imbalances.
When and how often should you get acupuncture for fertility?
We always recommend that patients start to receive weekly acupuncture treatments about 3 months before you are hoping to conceive. This is because it takes three months to grow a follicle for ovulation, so if we start treatments at that time then we can support the growth of the follicle from the very beginning. Basically, the sooner the better!
If you are going through IVF, research shows that acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly increases success rates. One study found that the clinical pregnancy rate for their group that received acupuncture shortly before and after embryo transfer to be nearly double that for the control group who received no acupuncture.
During an acupuncture appointment, we will choose points located all over the body that will help to influence the hormones, promote blood flow to the reproductive organs, and regulate the nervous system.
The most common areas where acupuncture needles are selected to be inserted include the head, ears, hands, lower legs, feet and abdomen. Below, we’ll explore some of those points, where they are located and how they are thought to improve fertility outcomes in patients.
Zigongxue: Uterus Point
This acupuncture point is located on the low abdomen, about one thumb’s width above the pubic bone and directly below the belly button. As you can see from the name, this point helps to bring attention and qi to the uterus, which is helpful for PMS symptoms, infertility, cramping, and irregular bleeding.
ST30: Surging Qi
This acupuncture point is located on the inner groin. We use this point to treat male infertility, regulate menstrual cycles, promote bleeding in cases of amenorrhea, and promote the proper direction of qi in the reproductive system.
PC6: Inner Pass
You can find this point located just above the inner wrist crease. It is used for sea-band bracelets because it is an excellent point for reducing nausea. We use this point in fertility treatments for its relaxation properties, calming the nervous system and preventing anxiety.
If you are interested in chatting with us about how acupuncture can help to support you and your fertility journey, please reach out to book a new patient appointment or free 15 minute phone consultation at Onyx Acupuncture & Integrative Health in Wheat Ridge.