Women’s Health and Infertility

Women's health issues and male/female infertility can be treated without requiring uncomfortable examinations. 

  • Women's health issues: Menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), amenorrhea, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis (PCOS), menopause, and other gynaecological concerns  
  • Male infertility
  • Female infertility 
  • IVF & IUI support

Can acupuncture be used to treat infertility?

Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine and supplements, has been used for centuries to treat some causes that affect fertility. For example: 

  • High FSH
  • Advanced maternal age
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Immunologic infertility
  • Luteal phase defect
  • Irregular menstrual cycle
  • Thin endometrial lining
  • Polycystic ovaries syndrome
  • High prolactin
  • Recurrent miscarriage
  • Unexplained infertility
  • Amenorrhea
  • Endometriosis
  • IVF & IUI support
  • Low sperm count
  • Poor sperm motility
  • Abnormal sperm

How does acupuncture for fertility work?

  1. Acupuncture increases production of endorphins, the body's natural "feel good" brain chemical that also plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle.
  2. Acupuncture has a neuroendocrine effect, impacting a three-way axis between the two areas of the brain involved with hormone production (the hypothalamus and the pituitary glands) and the ovaries, which ultimately impacts hormone balance and creates ovulation.
  3. Acupuncture can lower the level of stress hormone-cortisol which causes "progesterone steal". Stress also creates spasms in both the fallopian tubes and the uterus, which can interfere with the movement and implantation of a fertilized egg. In men, stress can lower sperm counts, alter sperm motility and cause impotence.  
  4. Acupuncture increases blood circulation to the ovaries. Ovaries are receiving greater amounts of hormonal stimulation which increase the egg quality.
  5. Acupuncture may also help the lining of uterus. If the lining is not thick enough to sustain a pregnancy, there is an increased risk of recurrent miscarriage.
  6. When should acupuncture treatment begin and when should I stop?

It is better to get one or two treatments a week for several months, before the effects can be seen. Patients are commonly treated for three to four months before processing to intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. The hormone levels need three cycles to be balanced.

Most miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. So the treatments are better to be given during the first 12 weeks to prevent miscarriage.

The goal of infertility treatments from a Chinese Medicine is not just to get pregnant, but also to stay healthy while pregnant and to have a healthy baby. 

"Impact of Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine on In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes"