Acupuncture For Infertility

Acupuncture For Infertility
By Eileen Chen

In the past decade, has gained wide acceptance in
the United States as a safe and effective treatment for
infertility. Major research projects have shown that acupuncture
can increase the chances of conception and decrease the chances
of miscarriage. Modern studies have shown that can
increase blood flow to the uterus while decreasing blood flow
impedance. Despite these groundbreaking studies, many women
remain uneducated and misinformed about how can help
them. In this article, I hope to explain how can
benefit women who suffer from infertility and how it can be used
in conjunction with traditional treatments such as IVF.

Acupuncturists and Western doctors take a similar approach to
treating infertility. They must first ask questions, examine the
patient, and from this information deduce why the patient is
infertile. Acupuncturists often rely on results from Western
diagnostics to help them arrive at the correct treatment. For
example, a patient may have been diagnosed with endometriosis
and irregular FSH levels by their doctor. Armed with this
information, the acupuncturist can aim to reverse the effects of
endometriosis and take steps to correct FSH levels. Acupuncture
has been proven to be effective for many of the major causes of
infertility and has also been proven to be able to regular
chemical balances in the human body. Where many western
treatments often focus on reducing symptoms, aims to
fix the root of the problem.

One of the greatest advantages of treatment is that
it is especially effective when used in conjunction with
traditional western treatments for infertility. Many women
receive treatment in conjunction with IVF and ICSI.
A research study showed that women who receive in
conjunction with IVF doubled their chances of conception from
15.6% to 33.6%. In the same study, it was found that in the
women who became pregnant after IVF treatment, those who
received treatment had a smaller chance of
miscarriage.

In my personal experience, brings many intangible
benefits as well. Infertility is stressful, embarrassing, and
frustrating. Many of the patients I have seen have found
acupuncture to not only be an effective tool in overcoming
infertility, but also to reduce stress. The endorphin inducing
abilities of help patients relax and ultimately
provides better conditions for conception. Below are some
testimonials from my patients:

“My husband noticed changes in my body during the first month
of acupuncture, and we both felt more able to enjoy making love,
and less stressed about "that time of the month” (ovulation). I
drank the herbs regularly that Dr. Chen recommended.

I saw
changes in my basal body temperature at each cycle. In that I
would not respond well to medications, based on my past history
and medical test results. But I did respond well to the daily
injections, produced a number of mature eggs, and got a positive
pregnancy test. I feel of course extremely grateful to both Dr.
Chen and to the IVF program and doctors at New York Hospital for
my pregnancy. In my case the combination seemed to be essential,
and opened my mind in a very positive direction about both
acupuncture and the possibilities of western medicine.” -J.Y

“In July 1998, I was diagnosed with severe dysplasia of the
cervix; to rule out any possibility of cervical cancer I had to
go through surgery, a procedure called cone biopsya, where
basically, a cone-shaped piece of my cervix was removed.

After that, my chances of getting pregnant were reduced. My
cervix was not producing enough of the mucus where my husband’s
sperm was supposed to survive prior to conception. At the same
time we also learned that John has a very high percentage of
‘immature’ sperm, making things even more complicated. My doctor
recommended to start a fertility treatment right away after we
saw the results of a post-coital test: five hours after sex,
there were no surviving sperms.

We wanted to have a baby very much, but we also wanted to try
to conceive ‘naturally’ first. My gynecologist thought that
would be a waste of time. Then, I went to visit Dr. Zhao Yang
Chen, who I met a year before when she helped me to quit
smoking. That was October, three months after surgery. Her
diagnosis was that, at that point, I would not be able to get
pregnant because my "pelvis was too crowded, there is no room
for baby.”

We started a treatment based on acupuncture, massages, pelvic
exercises and herb infusions. In the meanwhile, my first
Pap-smears after surgery came back normal, with no sign of
dysplasia. It was about December when she finally announced that
my body was in a ‘perfect condition’ and ready for pregnancy.

In January, three months after starting treatment, we got
pregnant (and we should not count December, as my husband was in
a two-week business trip during my ovulation). Indeed it has
been a stress-and-frustration-free fertility treatment. Dr. Chen
helped us to ‘pleasantly’ conceive this baby and we can only be
grateful to her.”
-J.G

About the Author: Dr. Chen is a teacher and practitioner of
acupuncture in NYC. More information about her practice can be
found at http://www.activeacupuncture.com

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