Mars and Venus Discovered by the Gods
Acupuncture & Infertility
Of all the alternative therapies, acupuncture has been shown in controlled scientific studies to be effective in helping treat male and female infertility problems. Acupuncture has, of course, traditionally been successfully employed in China to treat most illnesses, but , in recent years, there have been several interesting controlled scientific studies demonstrating the clinical value of acupuncture for both male and female infertility problems.
For instance, in one study of female infertility, 53 patients with Luteal phase defect (LPD) were treated with different Chinese medicinal herbs at different phases of menstrual cycle. The patients were treated for three menstrual cycles and there was significant improvement in the luteal phase of endometrium, and a tendency for normalization of the wave forms and its amplitude after the treatment. The findings suggested that Chinese herbal medicines capable of replenishing the Kidney could regulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis and thus improve the luteal function. Among the 53 cases, 22 (41.5%) conceived but 68.18% of them required other measures to preserve the pregnancy.
Another study involved 45 infertile women suffering from oligoamenorrhea ( 27 cases ) or luteal insufficiency (18 cases ). Following a complete gynaecologic--endocrinologic examination, the women were treated with auricular acupuncture (treatment of points on the ear). Results were compared to those of 45 women who received hormone treatment. Both groups were matched for age, duration of infertility, body mass index, previous pregnancies, menstrual cycle and tubal patency. Women treated with acupuncture had 22 pregnancies whereas women treated with hormones had 20 pregnancies. It was also noted that side-effects were observed only during hormone treatment and various disorders of the autonomic nervous system normalized during acupuncture.
The study concluded that " auricular acupuncture seems to offer a valuable alternative therapy for female infertility due to hormone disorders" being more effective than hormone therapy and with no side effects.
Traditional acupuncturists treat the whole person rather than a disease and therefore attempt to get to the root cause of the problem rather than treating the symptoms and, like other holistic practitioners, will consider all lifestyle and environmental factors before commencing treatment.
Of all the alternative therapies, acupuncture has been shown in controlled scientific studies to be effective in helping treat male and female infertility problems. Acupuncture has, of course, traditionally been successfully employed in China to treat most illnesses, but , in recent years, there have been several interesting controlled scientific studies demonstrating the clinical value of acupuncture for both male and female infertility problems.
For instance, in one study of female infertility, 53 patients with Luteal phase defect (LPD) were treated with different Chinese medicinal herbs at different phases of menstrual cycle. The patients were treated for three menstrual cycles and there was significant improvement in the luteal phase of endometrium, and a tendency for normalization of the wave forms and its amplitude after the treatment. The findings suggested that Chinese herbal medicines capable of replenishing the Kidney could regulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis and thus improve the luteal function. Among the 53 cases, 22 (41.5%) conceived but 68.18% of them required other measures to preserve the pregnancy.
Another study involved 45 infertile women suffering from oligoamenorrhea ( 27 cases ) or luteal insufficiency (18 cases ). Following a complete gynaecologic--endocrinologic examination, the women were treated with auricular acupuncture (treatment of points on the ear). Results were compared to those of 45 women who received hormone treatment. Both groups were matched for age, duration of infertility, body mass index, previous pregnancies, menstrual cycle and tubal patency. Women treated with acupuncture had 22 pregnancies whereas women treated with hormones had 20 pregnancies. It was also noted that side-effects were observed only during hormone treatment and various disorders of the autonomic nervous system normalized during acupuncture.
The study concluded that " auricular acupuncture seems to offer a valuable alternative therapy for female infertility due to hormone disorders" being more effective than hormone therapy and with no side effects.
Traditional acupuncturists treat the whole person rather than a disease and therefore attempt to get to the root cause of the problem rather than treating the symptoms and, like other holistic practitioners, will consider all lifestyle and environmental factors before commencing treatment.