Infertility is a condition of the reproductive system where a woman is unable to conceive after at least twelve months of regular, unprotected intercourse. Even if you become pregnant but experience recurrent miscarriages or are unable to carry a pregnancy to term, you may still be considered infertile. Infertility affects around 6.1 million Americans. If you have tried modern science infertility treatments without success, it is time to explore ancient techniques like acupuncture. Here is what you should know about acupuncture infertility treatment.

Acupuncture Overview

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that has gained popularity in addressing various conditions, such as infertility. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is increasingly used alongside modern infertility treatments to improve success rates.

TCM is based on the principle of balance and the vital flow of energy called “Qi” (or “Chi”), which is essential for maintaining organ harmony. In modern medicine, a specialist can recommend acupuncture to enhance blood flow in reproductive organs, alleviate stress and anxiety, or modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, which are among common reasons for infertility.

Experts use acupuncture to safely and non-invasively treat several infertility conditions, like:

  • Ovulation problems
  • Implantation challenges
  • Endometriosis
  • Idiopathic or unexplained infertility
  • History of abortions or miscarriages
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (POS)
  • Tubal blockage

Additionally, specialists use acupuncture as a complementary treatment for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). Acupuncture adopts a holistic approach, addressing both physiological and psychological factors affecting fertility. Furthermore, the treatment is non-invasive, posing minimal risks to patients when performed by a skilled and competent specialist.

The Origin and Principles of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has historical ties to philosophical systems such as Confucianism and Taoism. Ancient medicine links good health to harmonious balance and uninterrupted vital energy, or qi flow in the body. Qi is a vital energy while Yin and Yang, are opposing complementary forces permeating every element of the physical world and human body, influencing Qi.

The foundational principles of acupuncture suggest that the treatment does not solely focus on the physical body. Instead, it assumes a holistic approach that involves the mind, spirit, and body. In TCM, being healthy does not mean a lack of disease. It is the optimal functioning of the body organs or the linkage of wellness. According to ancient medicine, the symptoms of disease that you experience are due to a blockage of qi or an excess of this vital body energy.

The Primary Concepts of TCM

The key concepts defining TCM are:

  1. Qi, Chi, or Vital Energy

Qi, or Chi, is a crucial energy circulating throughout the body, helping you keep spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. You will have good health when the energy flow is smooth and unblocked. Therefore, when you experience symptoms, acupuncture removes the energy blockage and ensures harmonious balance, restoring good health.

  1. Yin and Yang

Acupuncture is based on the ancient dualistic theory of Yin and Yang, where Yin represents passive, feminine, and dark energy, while Yang embodies active, masculine, and light energy. Their balance is essential for health. Yin represents the passive, dark, and feminine energy linked to the earth, while Yang is the active, masculine, and light force linked to heaven. You maintain good health when these complementary yet opposing forces are harmoniously balanced. Acupuncture treatments restore the balance between these forces.

  1. Meridians

The invisible pathways where qi flows are meridians. The human body has twelve meridians flowing through the body. Acupoints are the specific points in the meridians where acupuncturists insert tiny needles to unblock pathways for harmonious energy flow.

When you visit an acupuncturist for a consultation, they examine your symptoms, inspect your tongue, and check your pulse rate. Combined with the five-element theory, it helps these TCM specialists develop an accurate diagnosis.

Acupuncture View on Infertility

In TCM, infertility is not a condition but a symptom of a baseline systemic imbalance. The ancient treatment, therefore, addresses reproductive problems by restoring natural balance and flow of vital energy.

Per TCM, infertility stems from disharmony in the quality, quantity, and smooth flow of vital energy and blood in the body. All body functions rely on proper blood and energy flow, including reproduction. When qi and blood flow harmoniously in the body, every organ, including the reproductive ones, functions correctly, ensuring good health and improved fertility capability in women. On the other hand, when there is a blockage of these vital elements, the delicate process of conception and carrying a healthy pregnancy is disrupted, leading to fertility issues.

TCM attributes the health of the female reproductive system to crucial organs like the kidney, liver, and spleen. The kidney produces ovum and Jing Qi, which are critical in maintaining a healthy mind and body, and are needed for a healthy pregnancy. When the kidneys have an energy imbalance, they do not produce sufficient Jing Qi, leading to infertility. By improving the function of the kidneys through acupuncture, enough Jing Qi is produced, restoring reproductive health.

Similarly, the spleen is pivotal in blood production and distribution, ensuring regular menstrual cycles, nourishing the fetus, and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Disharmony in the balance of vital energy in the Spleen causes insufficient blood flow, impacting a woman’s fertility. Acupuncture aims to restore energy balance in this organ system for optimal functioning, improving reproductive functions.

Also, the liver is crucial in the uninterrupted flow of vital energy and qi in the body, including reproductive organs. Therefore, when an acupuncturist identifies qi disharmony in the liver as the cause of infertility, they can devise a treatment plan that restores the energy balance in the organ for proper blood distribution. The blood stagnation can also lead to emotional distress, anxiety, and depression, which can also contribute to infertility. By identifying these as the factors contributing to infertility, the acupuncturist can address them to restore your fertility.

Clinical Application of Acupuncture Infertility Treatment

Acupuncture in conjunction with TCM has long been used as an infertility treatment by fixing functional imbalances. Acupuncture can be utilized to:

Treat Certain Infertility Conditions

TCM experts have used acupuncture for centuries to treat the primary causes of infertility. However, the treatment is not used to address infertility caused by structural anomalies like blocked fallopian tubes or tubal adhesions. The therapeutic procedure treats infertility by harmonizing functional imbalances through proper stress management, ensuring hormonal balance, enhancing ovulation, and optimizing blood circulation. Therefore, the therapy is not a standalone treatment. Instead, it plays a complementary role to other physiological infertility solutions.

Acupuncture addresses a condition like PCOS by restoring hormonal balance and optimizing the endocrine system to control ovulation. Research shows that electroacupuncture improves ovulation in women suffering from PCOS.

Also, acupuncture can improve ovarian function, even though it cannot be used as a treatment for tubal adhesions stemming from endometriosis. You can use this type of TCM to lower chronic inflammation associated with endometriosis. If you are due for an IVF in 90 to 180 days, your doctor can recommend acupuncture to ensure you are well prepared for the procedure.

When there is no specific cause of your infertility or you are experiencing idiopathic infertility, the use of acupuncture can improve the overall function of body organs, including the reproductive system, fixing issues that were causing infertility but could not be identified through modern science.

Another cause of infertility that can be fixed using acupuncture is elevated follicle-stimulating hormone. Acupuncture addresses the problem by restoring hormonal balance, which helps regulate the reproductive organs.

Additionally, when your fallopian tubes are spasmed, acupuncture enhances patency, which is critical in dealing with spasms. If the problem with the tubes is physical, like scarring, acupuncture is ineffective.

Low fertility in men could be a cause of infertility. Acupuncture can improve fertility in men by increasing sperm motility, quality, and quantity, fixing infertility issues.

Complement ART

Acupuncture has long been used as an adjunct to ART, like IVF and IUI. Reproductive medicine experts refer patients to acupuncturists when ART options like IVF fail one or more times. They explore the therapeutic procedure to improve the preparedness and conception chances in the next IVF cycle.

Many studies support the integration of acupuncture with IVF. One of these studies, which was published in the Fertility & Sterility Medical journal, indicated that acupuncture improved conception and pregnancy chances when combined with ART procedures like IVF. The study was conducted on 160 women. Half of these underwent two acupuncture sessions, each lasting twenty-five minutes, one after the embryo transfer to the uterus and the second directly after the transfer. The other half of the group did not receive acupuncture before or after the IVF cycle. The group that underwent acupuncture therapy had a high pregnancy rate, with 34 women becoming pregnant. Even though women in the second group who underwent IVF alone became pregnant, the number was 21, which was lower than the 34 in the other group. This showed that acupuncture as a complementary treatment improved the success rate of IVF.

 Acupuncture is crucial before an IVF cycle because it promotes hormonal balance, lowers stress and anxiety linked to the reproductive procedure, and minimizes the side effects of fertility medication used during the cycle.

Additionally, it enhances blood and energy circulation to the uterus, forming a thick and nourished endometrial lining critical in the implantation process, and minimizes uterine contraction that could prevent proper embryo attachment.

Besides, the treatment improves embryo and egg health, which is critical for a healthy pregnancy. With these benefits, acupuncture is considered a crucial complementary therapy for IVF as it addresses many side effects or problems faced in the modern treatment.

Another ART treatment complemented by acupuncture is IUI, although the research on IUI is not as extensive as that of IVF.

Generally, acupuncture increases the effectiveness of IVF and IUI, explaining why Western or modern medicine is integrating it into infertility treatment.

Acupuncture Infertility Treatment Candidacy

Even though acupuncture has proved to be highly effective as an adjunct to ART and in treating functional problems causing infertility, it does not address structural or physiological causes of this reproductive issue. Therefore, if your fallopian tubes are fractured or blocked, acupuncture might fail to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy.

During an acupuncture procedure, a TCM specialist inserts tiny needles in specific points of meridians known as acupoints to improve the flow and balance of vital energy. The expert focuses on acupoints on meridians along the reproductive system to ensure qi is equally distributed in all directions, improving reproductive health and fertility. The therapy stimulates acupoints, creating qi balance and proper flow, while causing the brain to produce endorphins. However, when you get to a particular age, no amount of stimulation in the acupoints will increase hormones in your reproductive system, as they are gone due to age. Therefore, if you are older than 40 years, your reproductive health specialist will try a fertility workup before suggesting acupuncture.

When you suffer from a reproductive problem that hinders your fertility, it is crucial to seek treatment early to establish the source of the problem and devise an ancient Chinese medicine treatment plan that addresses the issue. If you seek acupuncture later in life, your chances of pregnancy are reduced, as the treatment is likely to be ineffective. However, when you explore this option early, you can enjoy its benefits, which include improved chances of a healthy pregnancy. So, when struggling with infertility at the age of thirty, the best treatment to explore is acupuncture, as it is affordable and noninvasive. Modern science fertility treatments like IVF are expensive and highly invasive. Besides, a few months of therapy can significantly improve your chances.

Tips for Hiring an Acupuncturist for Infertility Treatment

Even if you are qualified for acupuncture, there is tremendous variability in protocols, with the success of the technique used in your case hinged on the skills of the TCM specialist administering the therapy. Therefore, when looking for an acupuncturist, you must consider several factors.

You should partner with a TCM specialist who is trained and certified to practice acupuncture and has experience in infertility treatment. Hire a doctor with thousands of hours in training and practice of TCM.

Besides, look for a specialist with affiliation to a central medical facility. The acupuncturist must have a working relationship with your reproductive endocrinologist, which will be instrumental in developing a harmonious treatment regimen.

If you are not under any modern science infertility treatment, visit an obstetrician first before starting acupuncture treatment so that the expert can be aware of the therapy.

Find a Licensed Acupuncturist Near Me

Acupuncture offers an adjunct and holistic approach for addressing infertility. It uses a comprehensive approach that addresses many fertility challenges, psychological or physiological. If you are considering the treatment, consult with a certified acupuncturist.

At the Art of Chinese Healing, we have acupuncturists with a background in infertility treatments, making us suitable to increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Call us at 310-405-1610 with questions about our infertility acupuncture program in Los Angeles, CA.