Over 3 million Brits turn to acupuncture each year to cure all manner of illness and complaints, and those seeking help for fertility are rarely disappointed.
“Fertility and acupuncture get a lot of press”, said Chris Dance of The Acupuncture Clinic, Hove. “Acupuncture is a very effective medicine at treating fertility but also for women and gynecology in general, it’s relatively non invasive compared to other drug and surgical options.
Acupuncture tends to work quickly as Chris saw in one 42-year-old client. “As a last ditch attempt, she came for acupuncture.” The woman had been told a natural pregnancy was impossible and she only had a 3% chance of success with IVF.
“She came for treatment and had a relatively complex diagnosis. Her menstrual cycle was unhealthy, but after 4 months of acupuncture, she was pregnant,” said Chris, adding that she did have a few problems during pregnancy, so continued treatment, but now has a healthy little girl.
The Acupuncture Fertility Network offers support for practitioners and clients and state that acupuncture can help with many fertility issues, such as:
- Unexplained infertility
- Pre-conception care
- Assisted conception support
- Low sperm parameters: count, motility, morphology
- PCOS
- Endometriosis
- Ovulation issues
- Menstrual cycle irregularities
- Recurrent miscarriage
The Kite Clinic, a classical five elemental acupuncture clinic in London, recommend the following tips for getting pregnant:
- Drink the correct amount of water every day - 2 litres for most people
- Eat breakfast every morning between 7 and 9am - the stomach’s peak time of activity.
- Go to sleep by 11pm most nights - sleep is essential for healthy eggs and sperm to regenerate.
- Do 30 minutes cardiovascular exercise 3 times a week - essential for the body’s performance.
- Have regular sex, 3 times a week, throughout your cycle.
Have you thought about or tried acupuncture for fertility? I’d love to hear your experience.