East Meets West: Treating Infertility With Acupuncture
and Modern Medicine
Chinese
medicine believes in nourishing egg quality with herbs and
acupuncture. Is there anything to it?
The ancient Chinese practice of
acupuncture is fast-becoming an accepted supplement to modern-day assisted
reproductive technology that helps infertile couples become parents.
“More doctors are open to referring
patients to complementary medicine for their reproductive
health as well as for their emotional well-being,” says Mimi Baker, a licensed
acupuncturist in Princeton, New Jersey, who practices traditional Chinese
medicine and works in conjunction with fertility experts.
Dr. Frederick L. Licciardi, a
professor at the NYU Langone Fertility Center, where he directs the Fertility
Wellness Program, says more women are seeking ancillary services while they
pursue fertility treatments. The program offers acupuncture, yoga,
psychological services, nutrition and mind-body classes
“Women and couples face many
pressures when they are undergoing fertility treatment. Anything we can do to
promote their emotional well-being and make the process easier so they can
continue with their treatment is beneficial,” says Licciardi, a reproductive endocrinologist and co-founder of
the fertility center.
About 7.4 million women of
childbearing age have used infertility services, according to the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Assisted reproductive techniques include
medication, artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, which involves
the transfer of an embryo created in a laboratory dish to the uterus.
An ancient form of traditional
Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves the painless placement of ultrathin
needles into strategic points on the body to balance Qi (pronounced chee) – a
form of “life energy” believed to flow throughout the body. A blocked Qi can
lead to physical and emotional illness.
“Acupuncture helps to stimulate the
body’s own healing mechanism,” says Baker, who is treating an increasing number
of women in their mid-30s to early 40s.
Experts believe acupuncture can
increase blood flow to the pelvic area (which could help with embryo
implantation), regulate the menstrual cycle, trigger ovulation and reduce the
side effects of medications associated with assisted reproductive technology.
It also increases the release of endorphins, the body’s mood-enhancing hormone
that reduces stress and relieves pain.
“A lot of good hormonal things
happen when people are deeply relaxed,” says Steve Blumenthal, a licensed
acupuncturist with the Green Hills Natural Health Clinic in Nashville,
Tennessee, and a fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive
Medicine. Women with fertility issues represent about 70 percent of his
practice.
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