Infertility occurs to everyone out of six couples and in that number, 40% of them come from infertile women.
Female infertility is due to a lot of factors. It can be caused by a problem in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the uterus itself. These abnormalities in the female reproductive system are further caused by other factors.
One common culprit is stress. Stress can be considered a silent yet deadly problem.
Stress triggers a lot of hormonal imbalances because it continuously sends signals to the brain which controls the production of hormones, specifically the hormone cortisol.
Cortisol affects the body's sugar levels which are responsible for the flight or fight mode. Too much cortisol in the body can alter women's cycles as well as the body's response to sperm.
Stress can also alter female reproductive hormones such as the production of estrogen and progesterone.
When your body is lacking in these hormones, it would be more difficult to be pregnant. This can even be early signs of infertility.
So if you want to conceive a baby, reducing stress should be a primary concern.
One way of reducing stress is through acupuncture.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture was originated in China as part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) wherein fine and sterilized needles are put into points in the body called meridians.
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Meridians are the pathways of energy. Energy is more commonly known as qi in Chinese.
Acupuncture's goal is to restore the body's qi which also means a balance between the emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of the person.
While there is no scientific evidence that proves that this is the case, acupuncture is considered a medical treatment in a lot of countries.
However, you can already get a logical sense of what acupuncture is trying to do - it tries to reinforce one or more reactions in the different pressure points of the body.
One such reaction is proper blood circulation.
With enough and healthy blood flow throughout the body, infertility can be avoided.
This is because when the blood flow is good in the reproductive system especially in the ovaries and the uterus, women are able to nourish the fertilized egg even more.
The increased blood flow brings with it an increase in the hormonal levels of the body. It restores the proper amount of estrogen needed for pregnancy. This also reduces the risk of miscarriage because the uterus lining thickens which enables the fertilized egg to easily attach to it.
Going back to infertility and stress, acupuncture can help regulate the latter in the body.
When you are stressed, some parts of the body function differently. Aside from the hormonal imbalance that comes with it, stress also tightens the muscles. This can be attributed to the flight or fight mode that stress induces to your brain.
Because your body is constantly under stress, your organs are always on "overtime". This is one such cause of infertility. It will start out as simply missing a period or two, leading you to think that you are already to pregnant only to find out that you aren't.
Your body loses its ability to conceive because of worn-out organs and unbalanced hormones that are supposed to reinforce pregnancy.
You will notice this when you go through a trying or stressful time and your period starts to get delayed. This is not something to freak out about because women, even if they have been regular for quite some time, still experience this.
What is a more important concern here is how to make your menstruation regular again so that the natural cycle of the body that prepares it for pregnancy will still occur.
Going for acupuncture might just be the answer you are looking for. To add to that, stress also affects the female reproductive system in such a way that it causes the fallopian tubes and/or the uterus to be incapable of keeping the egg.
In reading this, you might get a sense that acupuncture is the cure for infertility. This is not the case.
In fact, there are causes of infertility that acupuncture cannot heal.
Take, for example, a blockage in the fallopian tubes. Acupuncture cannot simply treat this because it already calls for a surgical approach.
It also does not cure any inflammation in the reproductive area, so it is still important to get checked by a gynecologist.
Acupuncture only increases the chances of you getting pregnant. It is a good supplement to herbal medicines and a precursor for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Are there any side effects of acupuncture?
Unlike other medicines and treatments that are offered to get pregnant, acupuncture has no known side effects.
This is a plus for women because they are almost reassured that their child (once they do get pregnant) will grow as healthy as possible.
The benefits of acupuncture for good health.
But while acupuncture does help in increasing the chances of getting pregnant, it also helps women's health in general.
In the long run, acupuncture will bring you a handful of benefits.
- Acupuncture helps in treating lower back pains and migraines.
- It also regulates the hormones that are excreted all throughout the body.
- For pregnant women, taking acupuncture is also a good way of ensuring a healthy pregnancy.
- It will lessen the back pains brought about by an added weight in the stomach region.
- It will reduce morning sickness, and it can help ease your anxiety in giving birth.
How many acupuncture sessions you need?
You just need to have the patience to do it more than once.
Testimonials of women who went through acupuncture claim that it does not work if you do it once.
Your patience will be tested because you would have to continuously go through acupuncture for a full 3 months to reap its benefits.
You will slowly see the changes in your body (more internal than external changes), but it will be more evident once all acupuncture sessions are completed.
However, take caution in choosing your acupuncturist.
If you are looking to get pregnant and reduce infertility, look for an acupuncturist that specializes in fertility.
This way, your fertility concerns will be the main focus of the acupuncture session.
Elaine Hickman is a practitioner at Freedom Chinese Medicine. She is a trusted physician who specializes in Acupuncture. In addition, she has more than 20 years of experience in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine.