Acupuncture and Infertility – Needle or Needless Therapy?

Acupuncture and Infertility – Tracing Its Roots

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing practice dating back over a thousand years.  Some medical practitioners in the West accept this treatment as a valid way of addressing several types of ailments.  It can help improve the skin, relieve muscle stress, and eliminate smoking habits, among many others.  Researches show that acupuncture greatly helps couples who are having a hard time making a baby.

How The West Sees It

There remain some Westerners who doubt acupuncture’s effectiveness, despite its popularity.  No scientific evidence is available to support acupuncture and, as a result, many healthcare professionals are reluctant to recommend it.  But many researchers are already investigating the issue, according to the National Institutes of Health in the United States.

Health Risks

The procedure is painless when performed by a trained practitioner.  Very few patients experience adverse effects.  Some of the usual risks linked with acupuncture include minimal bleeding, organ puncturing, broken or forgotten needles, and the spread of infection.  These can be done away with by having an experienced practitioner perform therapy.  However, acupuncture is not recommended for individuals who use blood thinners or having bleeding disorders.

A Single or Complementary Process

Acupuncture taken by itself is a great aid to fertility procedures.  It may also be considered a reliable add-on to the modern fertility programs we have today.  When used by itself, acupuncture benefits those who have functional problems, like intermittent ovulation, better.  By itself, effectiveness in treating structural problems, as with sperm duck blockage, could be weak.

Some acupuncture practitioners say that acupuncture treatments are best complemented by the use of Chinese herbs.  If you are taking prescription drugs, check with your doctor before starting any program of herb therapy.  There are some herbs that interfere with the correct mechanism of certain fertility medications and procedures.

Acupuncture for Fertility - Does It Truly Work?

How acupuncture works as a cure for infertility is still debatable.  However, many acupuncturists stress that even this age-old therapy can aid in normalizing the body’s functions.  It improves the flow of blood to reproductive organs and steadies hormone levels.  The general outcome is enhanced ovarian function in females and a higher sperm count in males.

Acupuncture has a positive effect on women who use it in combination with fertility boosting procedures.   Some say that the stress that comes with fertility procedures can also be lessened with acupuncture.  Women undergoing IVF, or in vitro fertilization, boost their conception rate with the introduction of acupuncture into the program.

Selecting The Best Practitioner

Doctors looking to enter the field of acupuncture will need to complete around 300 training hours to receive a certification.  Professionals looking to branch out to acupuncture need to pass the board exam first and complete between 2000 and 3000 hours of training to be licensed in this field.

A lot of people are into acupuncture nowadays, and this number is rising by the day.  To ensure that potential patients land in the hands of good practitioners, a few things must be considered.  Patients must first look into the background of the acupuncture therapist before undergoing a procedure.  A practitioner should have the training and certification required by the state or other government authority where he or she conducts practice.Reliable recommendations for acupuncture services would be family and friends who’ve benefited from the them.

Would-be patients should first inquire about ballpark total expenses just to be prepared with the costs early on.  A lot of people are thankful that certain insurance plans also cover acupuncture treatments.

What You Can Expect

To get the best results, one has to undergo more than one acupuncture treatment.  To maximize the benefits of acupuncture, the entire procedure would take some weeks to several months.  Expect every visit to the acupuncturist to last about an hour, as the practitioner will be discussing your current health status in detail and entertain whatever queries you might have on the process.