Even though it is not always asked during your initial consultation, we know that at The Pagoda Tree, patients are so regularly curious love to know how Acupuncture can help you.  So in the following article, I will attempt to condense 2,500 years of cumulative knowledge it to 10 simple points, on how Acupuncture can help your fertility. 

Before I pull this off though, let me outline a couple of things.  When talking to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, we will often talk in two different languages.  The first is in western medical terms, talking about hormone regulation or certain nutrients and vitamins that will benefit fertility.  And the second is in TCM terms, talking about metaphysical things such as Qi or different stagnations that can make it difficult to conceive.  

Here at The Pagoda Tree all the practitioners have a background in health science first and then specialize in Acupuncture and/or Chinese herbs, so we will always explain things to you in a clear manner in these two languages.

With the insertion of super fine needles into specific points of the body Acupuncturists have the ability to assist in healing and regulating a number of different medical conditions and help boost fertility.

Ok, got it?  Then lets begin.

1.   Stress relief.  Sleep, menstrual cycles, immunity and blood circulation can all be effected by stress and in particular cortisol.  Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone in our body, but in high amounts throw many normal body functions out of whack.  Acupuncture has been shown to lower cortisol levels, so our first goal when you leave an Acupuncture consultation, is to have you smiling on the inside and out.

2.   Improved circulation.  Our body’s cells and tissue need blood supply to grow, repair and regulate.  That is the same for ovaries and sexual organs too.  When we create better circulation to the sexual organs they perform better, weather that be to improve ovulation or help an embryo implant and grow.  When Acupuncture needles are inserted, they stimulate blood flow to the surrounding tissue as well as moving and creating blood flow along a channel.  Remember, in the first stages of pregnancy, it’s the embryo telling your body what to do, so it’s super important to make sure it’s able to listen up.

3.   Libido boost (yay!).  Ok, so this one does not have as much scientific backing as the first 2 points, but for centuries many Chinese people harnessed the power of certain Acupuncture points to increase libido and make them love goddesses and gods, and they were obviously doing something well fertility wise, as the Chinese do have a healthy population.  Also the more you practice the better the outcomes (wink).

4.   Detox.  A lot of the time when you have an acupuncture consultation, you will hear your practitioner say that they are moving the Liver Qi or supporting the Spleen Qi.  What we are doing is using certain points that are influential to corresponding organs.  For example when we use points to move the Liver Qi, just imagine we are increasing the Liver’s ability to filter out toxins and free radicals from the blood.  This means that the blood is then freed up to carry more nutrients or happy oxygenated red blood cells all over the body.

5.   Hormone level regulator.  We already know that Acupuncture can be great for regulating cortisol, but when this is regulated, Oestrogen and Progesterone levels also stabilize.  If there are imbalances in your Oestrogen or Progesterone levels this can effect when you are ovulating, how heavy your periods are, your moods and even body composition.  While going through a course of Acupuncture, these hormones will start to balance and you will see a number of healthy side affects as well as a boost to your fertility.

6.   Improves endometrial lining.  Endometrial lining is where your fertilized ovum first calls home.  The thicker the lining inside the uterus the more easily the ovum can implant.  Local and distal Acupuncture can increase blood flow around the uterus which helps this lining inside the uterus thicken and also helps regulate and reduce any Endometrial lining that may be outside the uterus known as Endometriosis.  In Chinese medicine this will often be referred to as blood stasis.  Particularly useful for those doing IVF who have been told they have a thin lining.

7.   Fixes gut health.   What!?  Im wanting to improve fertility, not help my bowel movements, but it all works together.  One of the first discussions you will have with the practitioners here at The Pagoda Tree is the importance of the gut.  The gut helps us absorb nutrients, expel waste, boost immunity, create hormones and as Hippocrates said ‘all disease begins in the gut’.  While helping improve fertility, we will also focus on good gut health, which is related to the Spleen and Stomach Qi in TCM.

8.   Whats Supp?  Another benefit for seeing an Acupuncturist is that we will often recommend some herbs and/or supplements.  As much as we would like to help you with your fertility everyday, herbs and supplements are another way in which we can be assisting, when you are not physically having an appointment.  Supplements such as Magnesium, fish oils or Chaste Tree (vitex) may just be the key ingredient to help boost your fertility.  Your Acupuncturist at The Pagoda Tree will be able to assist with different herbal or supplement recommendations.

9.   Calms the Shen.  ‘Shen’ is a Chinese term that is similar to ‘your spirit’ or ‘your emotions’.  If your Shen is disturbed, you may be having difficulty falling asleep or focusing on tasks and worried.  Your Shen can also be erratic and this is when your are zealous, frivolous or have many things on the go.  In TCM it is important during treatment that we calm the Shen.  Similar to meditation and focusing the mind, when we calm the Shen your mind feels clear of worries and you feel relaxed.  This state of having more clarity of the mind and relaxed does wonders for your fertility, but more importantly for your general wellbeing.

10.   IVFriendly.  Acupuncture sessions administered both pre and post IVF procedures, have been shown in a recent study, to double the chances of a successful pregnancy.  Whether it is to do with the calming nature of Acupuncture, the therapeutic benefit of sharing your concerns or the balancing of your Qi was not clear, but the results showed women were more likely to fall pregnant with IVF, if also having a course of Acupuncture.

There you have it!   We love helping people fall pregnant with Acupuncture and we have many other friendly tips that boost your fertility.  I’d love to see you in the clinic to help support your hormones and your fertility – it’s not just about creating the right environment, but making sure you’ve got everything it takes to pass on the goods.

If you would like to read more about how Acupuncture works go to click here or here.

If you would like to find out more about IVF and Acupuncture have a read here.

Caleb.

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Caleb is one of our wonderful practitioners here at The Pagoda Tree.  To book an appointment with Caleb, you can contact us here.