Fertility Enhancement

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used to treat fertility problems for over 3,000 years. Whether used to naturally promote fertility or assist conventional fertility therapies, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and relevant dietary and lifestyle changes enhance fertility by restoring balance to the reproductive and endocrine systems, and address a wide variety of health concerns that may hinder or prevent conception.

Acupuncture works to address female fertility issues regulating the menstrual cycle, balancing hormones and the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, normalizing ovulation, and stimulating ovarian function to improve the quality and quantity of follicles. Acupuncture can also increase blood flow to the uterus, thicken the uterine lining to improve the chances of implantation, strengthen the immune system, as well as alleviate stress and anxiety to promote the emotional and physical well-being crucial for fertility. Studies also show that acupuncture can improve the quality, concentration, volume, and motility of sperm.

Custom herbal formulas that regulate the menstrual cycle and ovulation, thicken the uterine lining, regulate hormones, prevent certain types of miscarriage, and improve overall health are also an integral part of Chinese medicine treatment for fertility issues. Since some herbs may be counter-indicated or interfere with certain Western fertility medications, the appropriateness of an herbal therapy regimen is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with formulas sometimes prescribed prior to beginning the medication cycle.

Considering it takes about 90 days to regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle, improve ovulation and uterine lining, balance hormones, and address issues such as PCOS or endometriosis, and 150 days for a follicle to mature, it is best to start treatments three to six months before attempting to conceive naturally or undergo IUI or IVF. Unfortunately, most women don’t find out about the benefits of acupuncture for fertility until they start trying to conceive or begin Western fertility interventions. In such cases it’s best to start treatment as soon as possible.

Although each passing month can seem like a wasted cycle, and a few months can seem like a very long time when trying to conceive, recent studies support the Chinese medicine perspective that at least three months of acupuncture treatments prior to conception is an optimal timeframe for preparing and strengthening your body and bringing you closer to optimal reproductive health, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby.