Acupuncture helps fertility

Recent studies show that acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medicine treatment that relies on the painless but strategic placement of tiny needles can improve fertility and treat infertility. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine treatment that relies on the painless but strategic placement of tiny needles into a "grid-like" pattern that spans the body, from head to toe.

Acupuncture needles are used to stimulate certain key "energy points" believed to regulate spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical balance. And, for many women, it's often just what the doctor ordered.

In a study by Stener-Victorin et al from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Centre, Scandinavia and the University of Gothenburg, women are encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer.

Clinical observations from the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions. However, conception does sometimes occur when acupuncture and herbal medicines are used without traditional medical interventions.

Risks of acupuncture 

There are minimal risks when using acupuncture for fertility treatment and those wishing to include acupuncture in their treatment regimen should only be treated by an acupuncturist who specializes in treating fertility disorders.

Acupuncture is often combined with herbs to treat elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with anovulatory cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.