FAQ2 acupucnture infertility

4) How do they work?

Acupuncture is a time-honored medical treatment, dating back about 3,000 years in China. It is based on a theory that health depends upon the delicate balance and the normal flow of the Qi (pronounced "chi, or chee" meaning "energy" or "life force"). Thru the pathway of circulatory, nervouse system collectively called meridians (channels), they linkup with one or more organs thus control its physiological functions and its secreations. Too much activity (hyperfunctions) or too little activity (hypofunctions) in the organ can cause disturbance or blockage of the flow of the Qi along invisible pathways or meridians results in poor health, illness or pain. Think of the normal flow of qi as the normal traffic flow. Too much qi or qi excess means driving a car 100 mph on a freeway with 65mph speed limit which means accident. Too little qi or qi deficency means driving at 5mph on a freeway which results congestions. Congestion in our body can cause the delayed or reduced delivery of necessary oxygen, sugar, nutrients, hormones and delayed or reduced removal of bio-waste.

By inserting a few hair-thin solid disposable pins into acupuncture points at various often seemingly unrelated locations, acupuncturist seeks to restored that balance by increasing or reducing the qi in the affected meridians and to remove the blockage, thereby restoring health.

5) Are they safe? What reassurances do you have that your acupuncturist is using sanitary (or disposable) needles? Acupuncture has been safely practiced over thousands of years. Some concern has been raised about the transmission of disease by the needles.

The best and the safest way is to ask if the acupuncturist uses only disposable needles and go to only the acupuncturist who does.

6) On average, how many treatments do infertility patients need?

These acupuncture for infertility treatments usually start one or two months before the start of anticipated trying cycle for all 3 category of patients (trying on their own, with IUI, with IVF). During the initial exam, the acupuncturist will determine, through history taking, pulse and tongue diagnosis, hand/feet exam, how close the patient is to the optimal balance. For patients whose internal energies are within 10% the optimal balance, 2 to 4 acupuncture treatments may be sufficient. For those with only 20 to 40% of the normal energy, 9 to 12 acupuncture for infertility treatments may be necessary prior to the start of anticipated trying cycle. During this period, customized safe and effective Chinese herbs and teas are recommended to accelerate the normalization process.

Once optimization has been achieved, an additional 3 treatments are given between ovulation and the subsequent pregnancy test.

If the pregnancy test shows positive, the patient is advised to have one acupuncture treatment per week until week 12 (8 treatments) in order to strengthen the pregnancy and prevent miscarriages often occur in 19% (50% if over age 40) of the pregnant women in the first 12 weeks.

7) What types of infertility treatments work best with acupuncture?

IUI and IVF.

After the optimization by acupuncture, IUI can increase the chance of pregnancy with hyper stimulation of multiple mature eggs and ensure the healthy sperms getting into the uterus. Thereby reduce the chance that sperms being "locked-out" uterus by a closed cervix after a natural ejaculation in the uterus. In addition, more eggs will results more chances that one of them will be found and fertilized a sperm.

Acupuncture for infertility treatments along with IVF will further increase the pregnancy chance by delivering the best and healthiest embryos into the uterus thereby eliminating the uncertain about the fertilization.

Acupuncture alone or acupuncture plus IUI are certainly insufficient for those patients without fallopian tubes or those who wish and need to used donor eggs. more on acupuncture for infertility treatment>