Acupuncture and Infertility

Increasingly being recognized as a valid form of treatment by Western doctors, the practice of acupuncture dates back thousands of years in China. While acupuncture has been found to be helpful in treating a variety of ailments, from pain management to quitting smoking, recent studies have shown that it can also be beneficial to those experiencing infertility.

From East ...

Although modern medical science has failed to conclusively explain just how it works, acupuncture has been used by people for more than 3000 years. In the 1600s, Jesuit Monks imported the knowledge of acupuncture to France where it quickly spread throughout Europe. In the United States, though, acupuncture has only just begun to be widely practiced - within the last 20 years, or so.

Acupuncture is based in the Chinese belief that a balance in the energy flow (known as qi and chi) through the body is needed in order to stay healthy. When a blockage or imbalance occurs in that flow, your health is negatively impacted. There are 20 major pathways that qi is believed to travel along. These pathways, or meridians, are accessible through 400 different acupuncture points.

Based on the problem you're experiencing, different combinations of points are stimulated using acupuncture needles. These long, thin needles vary in length according to which point it is to be inserted into. By stimulating these points, energy flow is rebalanced and your natural healing ability can do its work.

...To West

The practice of acupuncture remains somewhat controversial among Westerners. Because modern scientific thought can't explain just how acupuncture works, many refuse to believe that this ancient medicine is anything more than a bunch of mumbo jumbo. The fact that the energy pathways don't actually correspond to any recognized body system (like the blood or nervous system) only increases people's skepticism.

However, the National Institutes of Health in the United States have noted that many researchers are investigating the issue. Some possible theories as to just why acupuncture works include:

• Changes to the central nervous system during acupuncture sessions alter the regulation of blood pressure and flow as well as body temperature
  
• Acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system causing neurotransmitters and neurohormones to be released, thereby boosting your body's natural ability to heal itself.
  
• Acupuncture reduces pain by releasing the endorphins, which naturally occur in the body's pain control system, into the central nervous system.
  

Regardless of just how it works, the fact remains that it is a relatively painless procedure with minimal side effects when done by a professional. The most common risks associated with acupuncture include puncturing the organs, transmitting infectious diseases, broken or forgotten needles and minor bleeding. However, going to a fully trained and certified practitioner significantly reduces these risks. Acupuncture should not be performed on people with bleeding disorders or those using blood thinners.