Acupuncture For Fertility - Chicago Office

Traditional treatments for infertility include intrauterine insemination (in which sperm is inserted directly into the uterus), in vitro fertilization (in which the egg is fertilized with sperm outside of the uterus and then placed into the womb), and the taking of drugs in order to stimulate ovulation. Women seeking more alternative methods of conceiving have also turned to various relaxation techniques including massage and yoga. Lately, however, the remarkable effects of acupuncture on fertility and conception are starting to become more widely understood and commonly used.

One of the founding members of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, Dr. James K. Rotchford, M.D., proclaims that as many as 80% of those suffering from infertility can be helped by acupuncture.

In acupuncture treatment for fertility, needles are inserted into energy points in the body that are linked to the reproductive organs. This increases the flow of electromagnetic neurotransmitters and Qi or Chi (pronounced "chee"), or the body's energetic life force, to the affected areas.

Often acupuncture is used in combination with other, more conventional forms of infertility treatment known collactively as ART or Assisted Reproductive Technologies. A German trial of 160 women found that those subjects receiving In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) complemented by acupuncture had far better results conceiving than those receiving IVF alone.

Dr. Raymond Chang of the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility (CRMI) at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, is quoted as saying that acupuncture, being nontoxic and inexpensive as compared with other fertility treatments, has great promise as an alternative or complementary form of treatment. Scientists and physicians at the center have called for a definitive study on the use of acupuncture as a treatment for infertility, citing sundry promising benefits, including the following:

• increased uterine blood flow (and therefore thickness of the uterine walls)
• increased production of endorphins (responsible for the release of a hormone involved in regulating reproduction);
• plasma levels of key fertility hormones;
• normalization of hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovarian glands;
• decreased stress hormones.

Acupuncture has also proven beneficial in helping women with a hormonal imbalance known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a fertility-related condition affecting 3% of all adolescent and adult women.

Acupuncture isn’t only a helpful infertility treatment for women, however. It’s also been proven effective in relieving impediments to fertility in men, particularly sperm production and sperm quality, without effecting any changes in sexual desire or performance. Results of a recent study appearing in Fertility and Sterility reveals that acupuncture can increase sperm count and reduce structural defects in the sperm produced. Considering that 35-40% of couples’ infertility problems are actually caused by condition in the male partner, acupuncture offers a remarkably promising solution to many would-be parents.

Lastly, a cursory benefit of using acupuncture to treat infertility is that it's ordinarily much less costly than conventional treatments, which can run into the tens-of-thousands of dollars. It is currently believed that it only takes approximately 10 sessions with an acupuncturist to determine whether or not it would be affecting in improving an individual's fertility.

To find out more about how acupuncture may help you with your fertility concerns, contact the Ravenswood Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 773-878-7330.

We are located in the Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago near Lincoln Square.  Our address is 5215 North Ravenswood, Suite 105.  There is plenty of free street parking and a free parking lot on the north end of the building.

Additional Information About Acupuncture For Fertility From The American Pregnancy Association

Working With Fertility Clinics Chicago: Acupuncture Shows Promise in Improving Rates of Pregnancy Following IVF