Acupuncture As an Alternative Treatment of Infertility
Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
by John Williamson
http://health-vitality.com
Oriental traditions and traditional medicine often regarded infertility as an imbalance of the body's energy levels. Infertility is the inability to conceive even after one year of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse; it is also defined as the woman's inability to carry a pregnancy to its full term, resulting to miscarriage.
Western medical practices regard conditions and ailments as merely parts of a medical condition. In traditional Chinese medicine, all ailments are in correlation with the body, energy and soul. Chinese medicine first introduced acupuncture and integrated it into medical practices thousands of years ago. Widely performed in the East, it was integrated onto Western Medical practice only recently.
Acupuncture is a practice done by inserting very thin sterile needles into pressure points referred to as "acupoints". This practice aims to revive the body's energy balance and help the body heal itself through relaxation and infusion of revitalized energy.
Infertility Explained
Some of the causes and factors named to cause infertility are the woman's age, abnormal menstrual cycle, ovulation difficulties, man's low sperm count and quality, erectile dysfunction, tubal blockages and sexually transmitted diseases. Stress is also a significant factor affecting conception and fertility.
Among women, the leading cause of infertility is a condition called PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This condition affects the hormonal balance of the body creating abnormality in ovulation and menstruation cycles. The imbalance results in a growth of multiple cysts in the ovary and decreases the chances of a woman to conceive and carry a pregnancy to its full term.
Other factors like lifestyle and habits play important roles in affecting fertility. Excessive intake of alcohol, excessive smoking, drug intake and pressure and stress can reduce the chances of conceiving. Fertility specialists would often suggest reducing the stress factor as the first step in overcoming infertility. Reduction of stress levels starts the harmonization of the body's energy and hormonal balance.
Infertility and Acupuncture
Acupuncture is said to have helped in conception by aiding the body to bring back lost energy and helping the hormones synchronize with the body's need through "acupoints" healing. By bringing back the energy levels, acupuncture also relaxes both the mind and body, directly contributing to the healing of the soul. It works on the tenet that healing does not only concentrate on the physical concerns, but also addresses the over-all needs of the person.
With this, acupuncture is a favorite complementary treatment for assisted reproductive healing. Couples who are undergoing IVF procedures are encouraged to engage in acupuncture, as it directly contributes to the increased chances of conception. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture aids in the body's hormonal balance and regularization and encourages blood flow to the different organs.
Women who undergo IVF procedures often practice acupuncture at least half an hour before undergoing the procedure and another half an hour later after the embryo transfer. This is because acupuncture helps the body achieve a higher relaxation state, stabilizes the hormones and keeps the stress levels at the minimum. This over-all relaxation helps the uterus maintain its stability and become more susceptible to embryo growth and conception.
Men can also undergo acupuncture therapy as complementary infertility treatment. The relaxing procedure of acupuncture will help revive the body's energy and promote hormonal balance. It has also been found out that acupuncture can help with erectile dysfunction.
Acupuncture as treatment to infertility is widely accepted in the Western Medical practice. It is suggested that you speak with your fertility specialist should you and your partner decide to try acupuncture and any other alternative medicine for infertility.
Your fertility specialist can also help you find a licensed acupuncturist to perform the procedure. It is essential that you only perform this procedure with a licensed practitioner so as to avoid any complications.
Get the Best Advice and Information on Acupuncture and Infertility and everything you need to know about Infertility Symptoms and alternative treatment at:
> > http://www.NewInfertility.com
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