Acupuncture Can Help Increase Fertility Men and Women

For couples who have long-dreamed  have a baby, infertility or infertility is a very unpleasant news. Fortunately, there is a therapy that has been trusted for centuries to help, namely acupuncture. Acupuncture is a treatment method by placing small needles at specific points in the body. Health experts believe that the ancient Chinese therapy can help improve fertility in men and women.


"Acupuncture has been around for nearly 3,000 years. Method is safe and without adverse side effects. This probably is not the only one that can be done in an effort to treat infertility, but it helps make the body stay fit and maximize the effects of fertility treatments," said Dr. Lisa Lilienfield, pain specialist at the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine in McLean, Virginia.

"Although not a panacea, acupuncture can help patients to have a better fitness. Fitness is one of the requirements to cope with the stress of infertility, and can improve the pregnancy rate and quality of life," said Dr. Jamie Grifo, director of the New York University Fertility Center and division director of reproductive endocrinology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Besides relieving stress, Lilienfield said that acupuncture can help increase the fertility of women by increasing blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. Increased blood flow helps thicken the lining of the uterus, thus increasing the chances of conception.

"In general, people who are under 35 years are advised to try to get pregnant for about a year before seeking treatment for infertility. But, if you want to be examined, six months is a reasonable time to wait. And women over the age of 35 years do not have to wait more than six months, "said Lilienfield as reported by HealthDay, Monday (02/06/2012).

Acupuncture can also help improve the body's neuroendocrine system disorders. Acupuncture can help activate the brain to release hormones that stimulate the ovaries, adrenal glands and other organs involved in reproduction. Acupuncture effects on neuroendocrine systems may also help infertile by stimulating the production of sperm.

Research has been done on acupuncture and fertility have had mixed results. Some of them showed some benefit, while others did not show anything.

A study of acupuncture as published in Acupuncture in Medicine and other studies published in the Journal of Endocrinological found the efficacy of acupuncture as applied to a woman who underwent surgical removal of the embryo into the womb.

Research from the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation also found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome and men with infertility problems who have no known cause can also benefit from acupuncture.

Acupuncture is done by putting very thin needles at specific points in the body. In Chinese medicine, these points are believed to be the area where a 'chi' is blocked. In Western medicine, believed that the placement of the needle can release natural painkilling substances from the body. Acupuncture is commonly used to treat pain, such as back pain, headaches and menstrual cramps.