Fertility
Fertility
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Acupuncture and Chinese herbs have a long history of benefiting fertility in many ways. Benefits of acupuncture include:
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improved uterine lining
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increased blood flow to the uterus
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regulation of hormones
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reduction of stress associated with fertility problems
Recently a study demonstrated that sperm quality and motility was improved after the men received acupuncture treatments. The men treated experienced increased sperm motility levels, increased the number and percentage of healthy sperm, and significant improvements in sperm structure and quality as compared to a control group.
A study that received notable attention showed that acupuncture significantly increased the effectiveness of IVF/IUI success. Impressively, pregnancies were documented in 34 out of 80 patients (42.5%) in the acupuncture group as compared to 21 out of 80 patients (26.3%) in the control group.
It is advisable to begin acupuncture 3 months before attempting to get pregnant, but most women wait until they are actively trying to conceive. In my practice, I see women 1 time per weekly until we get a positive pregnancy test result and 1 time weekly for the first trimester to reduce the risk of miscarriage.