Close-up of acupuncturist’s hands giving treatment to patient’s belly
Acupuncture is used to treat a wide array of health issues, from neck and low back pain to helping cancer patients through chemotherapy. Acupuncture is the insertion of sterile, solid, filiform needles into specific acupuncture points on the body. All acupuncture points are located anatomically and all acupuncturists learn the same points in school, regardless if they went to school here in the US or in China. The needles are disposable. Acupuncturists retain the needles in the body ranging in time from 5 minutes up to 30 minutes. There is another method named meridian therapy, originating in Japan, whereas practitioners needle one point quickly and then withdraw the needle immediately. Both needling techniques are effective. The most important item in the process is the practitioner, and whether or not he/she is properly licensed in the state you reside in.
Acupuncture to treat stress:
Stress can cause health problems. Stress can affect physiological function in many ways. One can experience increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, decreased or increased appetite, increased urinary frequency, and insomnia to just name a few. Stress comes in many forms. Some have stressful jobs, others have a stressful home life and some have both. Regardless of the source of your stress, how you deal with it is very important. Getting regular acupuncture treatments can help you alleviate the negative side effects of stress, such as anxiety and depression (Hui et al, 2005). Acupuncture causes a decrease in neuronal activity in the limbic system. The brain tells your body to slow down, thereby decreasing the heart rate and blood pressure. As a result you feel calmer. Scientific evidence shows that acupuncture has been very effective in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (Hollifield et al, 2007).
How long this relaxed physical state lasts varies. It is very difficult to give a patient an exact time frame for how long you’ll feel better. Whatever the duration, you have allowed your body to teach itself how to calm down. Your body will remember how to be calm due to cell memory and you are more likely to be able to handle your stress source – whatever it may be. Your acupuncturist can also show you breathing techniques that you can practice at home to de-stress.
How acupuncture treats infertility:
This is a delicate topic that can affect both men and women. There is substantial clinical data in the medical field that supports the use of acupuncture for women during an IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) or IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) transfer which is referred to as an ART, or Assisted Reproductive Technology. For example, Dr. James Dillard at the Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons shared online that acupuncture can help your body function more efficiently and can therefore help IVF work more efficiently. Reproductive Centers throughout the nation have acupuncturists on staff to give women treatments immediately before and after an ART. Our very own Duke Fertility Center recommends acupuncture therapy for women trying to conceive. Reputable medical establishments understand and acknowledge the importance of acupuncture as an adjunctive healing modality.
So how does acupuncture help women get pregnant?
Acupuncture works with a woman’s energy to help her become more receptive to conceiving a child. It does this by balancing and harmonizing her energy. There are specific acupuncture points that when needled will increase the energy flow to the reproductive system. If acupuncture is performed during crucial fertile times of her menstrual cycle, such as during ovulation, then the chances of egg fertilization increases. Usually women should be treated at least once a week for it to be effective for fertility. In some cases, some women already have children but are trying to have more, but now they are older and have encountered difficulty getting pregnant again.
Acupuncture can also help men with fertility issues. Acupuncture can address low libido, low sperm count, and slow motility (Dieterle et al. 2009). Acupuncture can therefore approach infertility from different angles by addressing both male and female infertility. Be sure to see acupuncture practitioners who are trained to treat fertility issues. An acupuncturist should be able to read blood work and lab reports from the reproductive endocrinologist, and know the hormonal biofeedback mechanisms that control the reproductive systems.
Not being able to get pregnant can be stressful, and adding stress to the process makes conditions even worse. One often leads to the other and are mutually inclusive.
April Smith is a licensed acupuncturist with The Healing Professionals in Holly Springs. She has a numerous success stories with her assistance through acupuncture in fertility cases.
References:
Hui KKS, Liu J, Marina O, Napadow V, Haselgrove C, Kwong KK, Kennedy DN, Makris N. The integrated response of the human cerebro-cerebellar and limbic systems to acupuncture stimulation at ST 36 as evidenced by fMRI. Neuroimage. 2005;27(3):479–496. [PubMed]
Hollifield M, Sinclair-Lian N. Warner TD, Hammerschlag R. Acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled pilot trial. J Nerv Ment Dis 2007: 195(6):504-513
Dieterle S, Li C, Greb R, Bartzsch F, Hatzmann W, et al. A prospective randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia. Fertil Steril.2009;92:1340–3. [PubMed]
