Naturopathic Cancer Treatment Provider for over 25 years
In China, acupuncture has been a medical treatment for numerous ailments for over 2,000 years. Western medicine only began to appreciate its healing powers in the past few decades.
The number of Americans seeking acupuncture has doubled in the past two decades.
Acupuncture is now an accepted treatment for chronic pain, but it also has many other applications. Our board-certified naturopathic physicians with Portland Clinic of Holistic Health use acupuncture as a therapy for couples having trouble conceiving, including those undergoing in vitro fertilization.
Following are five ways acupuncture can help you succeed in growing your family.
Getting pregnant can be more difficult if your ovulation is wildly erratic. Your ovaries should release eggs about two weeks before you menstruate, but various underlying conditions can impact the typical schedule, including polycystic ovary syndrome and even stress.
Acupuncture can assist with regulating your ovulation, improving your chances that an egg gets fertilized successfully during your cycle.
Your ovaries play a critical role in reproduction. They store and release your eggs. Along with your adrenal glands, they produce your primary female hormones: estrogen and progesterone. These critical hormones not only help you get pregnant but also help you carry a baby to term.
A variety of conditions may upset your normal hormonal balance. Even a minor imbalance can dramatically decrease your chances of getting pregnant. Acupuncture can help rebalance your hormones to help you get pregnant; your doctor may recommend regular treatments during your pregnancy.
Getting pregnant is a complex process. Conception depends on more than an egg meeting a sperm. The fertilized egg needs a friendly reproductive environment.
Acupuncture helps create an optimal environment for pregnancy by:
These factors work together to improve the chances of a sperm implanting in an egg for successful fertilization.
There’s a reason that a newborn delivery is considered a miracle. The baby in your arms begins with just two cells — a sperm and an oocyte (egg cycle). Part of creating the ideal conception environment is ensuring these cells are optimally functional and healthy.
Acupuncture can improve sperm concentration and motility, or movement, making it easier for sperm to reach the egg and fertilize it. The practice supports cell health for both eggs and sperm.
Getting pregnant depends on healthy reproductive organs, but it’s also affected – sometimes significantly – by environmental factors. Stress has proven physiological effects. It can affect fertility, making your goal of getting pregnant difficult and creating even more stress.
Stress may disrupt ovulation and can amplify cortisol levels. Too much cortisol can impact the growth of the uterine lining and egg quality.
Acupuncture can increase deep relaxation and lower chronic stress levels. We use acupuncture routinely (and successfully) to reduce stress in people of all ages, including those who aren’t trying to conceive.
If you’re having trouble conceiving, call Portland Clinic of Holistic Health or book an appointment online today to learn more about acupuncture and other treatments to enhance your fertility.
