Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Asia to boost fertility and address the kinds of medical problems that prevent a couple from conceiving. Recently it has become a popular adjunctive treatment to IVF after studies have shown that it can increase the efficacy of IVF by 50%.
At Yinova we use Chinese medicine to treat fertility-related problems such as PCOS, endometriosis, luteal phase defect, irregular cycles, and amenorrhea. We also support thousands of women a year as they go through IVF and other assisted reproductive techniques. Why does it work? The acupuncture increases blood flow to the ovaries and the uterus to support a healthy ovarian follicle and uterine lining. It also decreases inflammation and corrects subtle hormone imbalances. The Chinese herbs are used to support a woman’s natural rhythms and to address complex disorders.
In my book Making Babies: A Proven Three Month Program for Maximum Fertility I give diet and lifestyle advice based on your Chinese medical diagnosis. Combining that advice with a specially tailored program of acupuncture and herbs is the secret of our success when it comes to helping couples conceive.
And that brings me to men.
For relationships with a male partner, men often get neglected in the fertility process. Supporting a male partner’s health is often the secret to solving a couple’s fertility problems.
New sperm are made every day, which come into fruition in three months so improvements in their health tend to improve their fertility very quickly. Here’s the advice we give our male patients who are trying to conceive a child. Several credible studies such as this one and this one have shown that regular acupuncture treatment can have an impact on semen quality. We also use Chinese herbs to improve semen count, motility, and morphology and to correct hormonal imbalances.
Often couples that have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility don’t have just one problem. They have a series of small issues that are making them sub-fertile. Using the Yinova Method we aim to identify and address each issue individually. So, for example, we may give a patient herbs to increase the length of their luteal phase (the time from ovulation to the period) or we might do acupuncture to address the way stress is affecting reproductive hormones. We also usually see the male partner, if there is one, too and put him on a specific program to make sure the sperm quality is the best it can be. Each intervention may seem small but together they combine to tip the odds in the couple’s favor and help them to conceive a child.
And that’s teamwork: both halves of a couple working to improve their health to have the healthiest baby possible along combined with gentle, effective treatments to enhance fertility for both men and women.
