What is Infertility
Infertility refers to an inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex. Infertility can also refer to the biological inability of an individual to contribute to conception, or to a female who cannot carry a pregnancy to full term. In many countries infertility refers to a couple that has failed to conceive after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraception.
What causes infertility in women?
Studies indicate that slightly over half of all cases of infertility are a result of female conditions, while the rest are caused by either sperm disorders or unidentified factors. There are four major categories of causes of infertility:
- Ovarian factors: poor egg quality, anovulation (no ovulation), irregular FSH levels
- Fallopian tube factors: Fallopian tube blockage
- Uterine factors: fibroids, endometriosis, poor quality endometrial lining
- Cervical factors: poor quality cervical mucus, anti-sperm antibodies
Does your Partner need to be treated at the same time?
The answer is it would be better. In addition to treating infertility in women, we usually treat the partner at the same time. The main purpose is to improve the morality and count of the sperm at the same time which can make the pregnancy become easier.
How does Acupuncture treat infertility in women
Acupuncture can be both a primary treatment for infertility or be used in conjunction with Western medical treatments. Most of the acupuncture research on infertility shows how powerful acupuncture can be to support IVF and IUI procedures when done concurrently.
Because acupuncture treats the whole person, not just the symptoms, we have a unique advantage to helping treat infertility. Acupuncture treats infertility by strengthening the overall constitution and balancing the body’s systems to allow for improved overall health. Acupuncture and herbs also help with physical blockages, like blocked fallopian tubes or fibroids. Our first step in treating infertility with acupuncture is talking. We do a thorough interview to get to know you – we talk about your health overall, your periods, your diet, your sleep, everything we can – and build a picture of who you are as a person. We may ask you to do basal body temperature (BBT) charting so we can understand more about your menstrual cycle. We then take all of this information and look at it through the lens of Chinese medicine to make a diagnosis. We let the diagnosis inform how we treat infertility with acupuncture. Herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle changes can also help treat infertility.
