East Asian Medicine has a unique model of health and fertility (the potential to conceive). Acupuncture can be beneficial when you are thinking of starting a family and want to prepare and be in the best possible health to conceive.
Regulating the menstrual cycle is a way we aim to help our patients. We ask a range of questions regarding the patient’s cycle in order to be able to identify the presence of subtle imbalances that according to Chinese medicine may act as barriers to fertility.
For couples who have been trying for a while, acupuncture can give them the support and extra help they may need to increase their chances of conceiving naturally. Fertility screening & hormone/sperm test information can be arranged via the G.P. (or privately through your local Fertility Clinic) and can also help your acupuncturist with diagnosis and treatment.
Within treatments, we can help patients focus on their diet, lifestyle and work-life balance as well as helping to resolve any underlying emotional or physical imbalances that can affect fertility.
So for both men and women acupuncture can help promote natural conception, as well as supporting specific medical problems that might reduce fertility.
The following list details the conditions that acupuncture has been used for in our clinics:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Short/long cycles
- Painful, heavy periods
- Lack of periods
- Spotting or bleeding outside period time
- Ovulation pain
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Fibroids, cysts, polyps
- Endometriosis
- Recurrent miscarriage
- Hormonal imbalances eg: PMS, migraine, skin eruptions, emotional issues
- Sperm count – morphology, motility, antibodies
- Immune system issues
- Low libido
- Erectile dysfunction/impotence
- Testicular health
In research acupuncture has been shown to regulate the menstrual cycle, lower raised levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), relieve symptoms of endometriosis; induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovaries (PCOS); improve the quality and motility of sperm, and release endorphins that reduce stress and promote relaxation. 30% of all failures to conceive are often described as ‘unexplained.’ Chinese medicine can often identify and effectively treat these unexplained causes because it looks at the person as a whole and by balancing hormones, improving blood flow to the uterus and pelvic area, as well as reducing stress, it can often avoid the need to resort to more invasive medical intervention.