Acupuncture & Fertility

If headlines are any indication of what's hot and what's not, it is easy to believe that infertility treatment is strictly a modern day science, made possible solely through the courtesy of high-tech medicine. But as good as modern science is, many couples trying to get pregnant find themselves turning to an age-old treatment for help - one so steeped in tradition it is about as far from life in the 21st century as one can get. That treatment is acupuncture and today, even high-tech reproductive specialists are looking to the somewhat mysterious world of Chinese medicine to help those fertility patients for whom western science alone is not quite enough. Our resident Acupuncturist, Sarah Joseph, tells us how it works and what to expect when you have a treatment.

'The journey to conceive can be one of the toughest emotional challenges a couple has to face in their lives. It can be a rollercoaster of dashed hopes and disappointment. Many people find that support with acupuncture not only improves their physical chances of pregnancy, but helps reduce the stresses and emotional strains of the process. Clinical studies have shown acupuncture to be significantly better than drugs at achieving pregnancy rates, and when used in conjunction with assisted fertility (IVF, IUI etc), improve fertility rates by as much as 60%. Acupuncture increases fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system, according to several clinical studies. Around half the men and women I see in clinic come for sub-fertility issues, or support alongside assisted fertility protocols, provided through both NHS hospitals and private clinics. The goal of treatment is not just to get pregnant, but to stay pregnant and have a healthy baby. In women, treatment is aimed at promoting a healthy blood supply to the ovaries and uterus, and producing healthier eggs that can be carried full term. In men, treatment is aimed at producing healthy, abundant, mobile sperm. At your first visit, I will take a thorough medical history, right back to your childhood, to help me fully understand your physiological profile. I’ll also ask you questions about your diet, lifestyle and energy. There will be a physical examination, when the abdomen will be palpated, and I will take your pulse profile, which will tell me how your energy (or qi) is balanced throughout the organ system. Treatment at this first visit focuses on dispersing toxic qi from the body. Follow-up treatments occur weekly or fortnightly, depending on the diagnosis I make following the first visit. As you move through your cycle (if you are having one) I will adjust treatment according to your body’s requirements at that phase. If you don’t have a cycle, then treatment focuses on bringing the body back to balanced harmony, and/or supporting the body’s capacity to start menses. My patients find acupuncture to be a deeply relaxing treatment, which leaves them feeling re-invigorated and clear headed. This year has seen another clutch of babies born to my patients, and successful pregnancies.'

To book with Acupuncturist Sarah Joseph for Fertility assistance or any other health issue please contact the clinic in the usual way!