Acupuncture is a practice belonging to the ancient system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It involves the insertion of very thin needles along channels in the body, known as meridians. These points relate to different parts of the body, including the reproductive organs. Stimulating them allows your body’s energy, or Qi to flow freely to these organs. It also improves blood circulation. According to TCM, infertility occurs due to disrupted vital balance and blockages in the Qi energy and blood circulation.
Acupuncture is a great treatment to receive regularly for overall good health, but it is particularly effective for regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle and improving reproductive health, increasing a woman’s ability to get and stay pregnant.
Here are 5 ways acupuncture for fertility can help in your pregnancy .
1. Acupuncture Regulates the Menstrual Cycle
Tracking your cycle and knowing when you are ovulating is often where you start on your conception adventure. If you do not have a regular cycle – sometimes 4 weeks, sometimes 6 – it can be much harder to catch the optimal ovulation window.
An irregular menstrual cycle can be caused by a hormone imbalance. Acupuncture will simulate the release of neuropeptides such as beta endorphins in the body which will influence the release of other sex hormones, restoring imbalances and impacting the menstrual cycle.
When your cycle is regular, ovulating tracking will become much simpler!
2. Promotes Circulation
Your Qi is your body’s life force, and it is carried through the body in your blood. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, creating a thicker endometrium – the home of a fertilized egg! An egg is more likely to be implanted and carried to term when it has a more nourishing environment.
3. Relieves Stress
Another great benefit to acupuncture is that the treatment itself is very relaxing (yes, even if you don’t like needles). Your acupuncturist can stimulate points that will relax you and release endorphins, plus, once the needles are inserted, you just lay back for a while in a dim room and relax while your body works.
Most of us are dealing with higher levels of stress, and stress can also impact your reproductive cycle.
4. Balances the endocrine system
The endocrine system is your body’s chemical messaging system. Just as acupuncturing can move Qi around your body, certain points can also stimulate the thyroid and adrenal glands, two primary components of your endocrine system. Hormones carry messages to your reproductive system, letting it know when to release eggs, or if an egg has been implanted and new hormones need to be used to nurture it. Acupuncture can ensure that the neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) network is communicating optimally by improving sperm quality and ovarian function.
5. Treats underlying Medical Conditions
If fertility issues are being caused by endometriosis or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), acupuncture treatments can also be effective through the release of beta-endorphins which can induce ovulation.
Acupuncture has a long history of beneficial effects on health, not just reproductive health. We definitely recommend you give it a try, whether you are trying to conceive, or looking to improve your overall well-being.
Do you have Questions? Would you like more information about how Naturopathic Medicine can improve your ability to get pregnant? Make a Complementary 15-minute Virtual Naturopathic Consultation with our Naturopathic Doctor in North York today!
Written by: Dr. Gayamali Karunaratna, Naturopathic Doctor (ND) & Birth Doula
