Friday 31 January 2014

How Acupuncture Can Help With Fertility and Infertility Issues

                                                  Acupuncture 



Can Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture help and fertility? Is it effective? The answer to both of these questions is yes. While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, dating back to the Chang Dynasty in 1500 B.C., it has only become popular among Westerners for the past 30 years or so. People in the United States and other Western countries are recently beginning to appreciate and comprehend the effectiveness of acupuncture. Overall, TCM treats patients with a "whole body" approach, meaning that the treatment addresses the complete body system as oppose to only attending to the symptoms. On the other hand, Western Medicine addresses the body as parts rather than one integrated system. So, how does this connect with fertility? Well, let's first define infertility. According to the American Fertility Society, fertility is when "a couple has had one year of sexual intercourse without contraception and has been unable to conceive." There are many factors that make it difficult to conceive even after conception, however using acupuncture to enhance fertility is providing hope and optimism for many. Additionally, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can work alone or in conjunction with western medicine to increase fertility, and there have been a number of studies in the last decade which show just how effective acupuncture really is in regards to fertility.
So, why does TCM and acupuncture work so well with fertility? According to Dr. Raymond Chang, director of New York's Meridian Medical Group, who has been using acupuncture alongside fertility treatments for the past decade, "acupuncture provides better blood flow and circulation to the womb." Moreover, "it will give a better chance for the eggs to be nourished and therefore, carried. Conclusively, acupuncture and TCM with fertility have a number of long standing benefits which include:
1. Regulation of hormones
2. Improved function of ovaries
3. Improvements in uterine lining
4. Increased blood flow to uterus
5. Increased live birth rates
6. Reduction of stress
7. Lower ectopic pregnancy rates
Lastly, research has shown that acupuncture is effective with men as well. A study from 2005 showed that after the men received acupuncture treatments, their sperm motility and quality improved.
Importantly, studies have proved that acupuncture and TCM for fertility does not cause any harm. In fact, by taking the Chinese medicine approach and getting acupuncture treatments, you are not only treating your body, but your mind and spirit as well. The treatments not only increase your fertility, but your energy and spirit as well so that you experience a great sense of well being overall

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