How exactly does acupuncture influence the female reproductive system?
Acupuncture has been reported to promote the circulation of blood in the pelvic cavity and improve ovarian function.1Acupuncture treatment may be beneficial in promoting follicle production,2 enhancing uterine blood flow3 and improving uterine lining thickness.4, 5
How does acupuncture assist in improving the likelihood of pregnancy?
Although we have mentioned several possible effects of acupuncture on the female reproductive system, one should not regard acupuncture as a cure for infertility. Our approach focuses on optimizing a patient’s entire organic system and is intended to improve overall health. As a result, fertility may be greatly enhanced.
Within the modern medical approach to fertility, there still exists a fair amount of controversy and disagreement among the reproductive specialists. However, there are two factors that every specialist agrees upon. First, when the woman is younger, the in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rate is significantly higher. Second, when the woman is healthier, the success rate of IVF is also increased. Thus, acupuncture can be used to improve one’s overall health status, thereby positively enhancing the chance of pregnancy.
If aging negatively affects fertility, does acupuncture reverse the aging process?
There is a strong correlation between age and reproductive health. However, it is important to remember that there are two types of aging: chronological and biological. While everyone ages at the same speed chronologically, the biological aging process differs greatly among each individual. That is the reason why each woman goes into menopause at a different time of their lives. So while it is generally true that the quality of a woman’s eggs declines as she ages, eggs of some women in their forties can be excellent quality due to slow biological aging.
It is not possible to stop chronological aging, however, we can definitely influence the progress of biological aging. Abusive lifestyle factors such as poor diet, smoking, stress, and insufficient sleep all accelerate the cell oxidation and the biological aging process. Practicing a healthy lifestyle in addition to regular acupuncture treatments will have a positive impact in slowing down the aging process.
We have reservation in using the statement that acupuncture can reverse the aging process. However, we have had a few cases at our clinic in recent years in which women over 50 who were postmenopausal began to have regular menstruation after receiving acupuncture on a regular basis for general health.
My FSH is too high. Does acupuncture correct hormonal imbalance?
An increasing number of women are visiting acupuncture clinics seeking help in correcting the hormone imbalances (FSH, LH, E2, progesterone, prolactin etc.) they are suffering from.
Regular acupuncture treatments can be very helpful in regulating hormonal imbalances, although it should be noted that acupuncture does not directly alter the female hormones. Rather, acupuncture is considered to influence the hormonal regulation centers in the brain and autonomic nervous system (i.e., the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis) and as a result, improvement in hormonal status can occur over time.
As I receive a series of treatments, how do you and I know that acupuncture is working for me?
If you are not presently on hormones, we recommend that you record your basal body temperature (BBT) every morning. The BBT chart is not the best method available to detect the exact time of ovulation, however, it is an excellent method to get an idea about the female hormone fluctuation pattern and can be used as one of the indexes to know your progress by observing changes in the BBT pattern from month to month.
By: http://www.acupuncture-treatment.com/infertility_faq.html#1