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The Relationship Between Infertility and Acupuncture

Infertility treatments have always been on demand. Most people tend to see an infertility specialist rather than try something like infertility acupuncture. Despite various infertility treatments, unexplained infertility can come as a very stringent reality for many couples around the world.

Many have turned to alternative therapies as treatment for infertility. Infertility acupuncture might not have a long history, but that hasn't dissuaded people from using it.

Acupuncture is an age old practice that goes back millennial years throughout the history of China. While it has not received FDA approval, it has found a home with some western doctors who believe in its effects.

Physical ailments as well as behavioral issues are among the things that acupuncture claims to handle. Smokers who just can’t quit might even be able to avail of acupuncture’s benefits. Its use as a treatment for infertility is relatively new in the west.

Acupuncture and Infertility

Studies have shown a slight relationship between acupuncture and infertility treatments, though it's not clear what the correlation is. How acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other infertility treatments is still unclear.

Understandably, there’s some controversy, especially considering the sensitivity of unexplained infertility. There’s always going to be a question mark on a method that works differently for different people.

If you see a trained acupuncture practitioner for unexplained infertility, he or she will first take note of your medical history. That information will determine which energy points need to be stimulated with acupuncture needles. The needles themselves differ in length and how deep they are inserted.

Naturally, this requires a sterilized area to make sure there are no infections. According to acupuncture theory, if you stimulate the right spot you can reset in balance the inner energy and solve a particular ailment.

Acupuncture and the West

Jesuit monks were responsible for acupuncture’s travel to the west. It spread like wildfire throughout Europe. The United States has taken on the practice in full force sometime during the last twenty years. It relies on the existence of an internal energy that flows throughout a person’s body. Whenever that balance is disturbed, illnesses crop up. Acupuncture works by manipulating that energy flow while making sure that it is balanced.

Acupuncture as a treatment for infertility should be used carefully and generally only to complement another treatment for unexplained infertility. Alone, it is apparently useful for functional issues, such as irregular ovulation. A structural problem, such as sperm duct blockage, is best handled with other infertility treatments.

Whether acupuncture and infertility belong with each other or not may depend on the person. Before lying down for the needles, you should definitely consult with a licensed physician. There are some studies that reveal promise, but there are just as many studies that show you can do just as well without the acupuncture.

Our previous article is on Sperm Banks.

Other wiki resources: causes of infertility; conception; how to get pregnant; artifical insemination; infertility studies; fertility after 40