Acupuncture for Unexplained Infertility

If couples have been trying to conceive for 12 months or more, they may visit their doctor to try to find out why they are not becoming pregnant. Usually they will then be offered hormonal blood tests, possibly a pelvic ultrasound as well as a sperm analysis. If all of these tests are found to be within normal range (which very often they are), then couples are given the ever-so-frustrating diagnosis of “Unexplained Infertility”.

This means that doctors can find no medical reason why a couple are not conceiving.

Couples are then told to keep trying naturally, or are directed towards fertility clinics which offer procedures such as IVF or IUI. These procedures are sometimes seen as a shortcut to pregnancy, or a holy grail, however they can be physically, emotionally and financially draining, and often fail.

Although medical science cannot find a clinical reason why these couples are unable to conceive, when viewed through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), an experienced acupuncturist can usually spot one or more imbalances within the male partner, the female partner or both partners which are preventing conception from occurring.

Once correctly identified (aided greatly for female partners by charting Basal Body Temperature, or BBT) imbalances in the body can be resolved with acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Ultimately what is required for conception to occur and for the pregnancy to continue is a healthy embryo. This therefore requires BOTH a high quality egg AND a high quality sperm.

Can acupuncture help improve Egg Quality?

Absolutely! The journey of the egg which the body chooses to release in any given month starts around 3 months prior to that ovulation. Tiny Primordial Follicles start to come out of their dormant state on both ovaries around 100 days prior to one being selected for ovulation, and as they grow and mature, they are greatly affected by the hormonal environment within which they find themselves during those 100 days. This hormonal environment (of estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, prolactin) must be in balance for an egg to achieve it’s highest possible quality by the time of ovulation.

With regular acupuncture treatments and potentially Chinese Herbal Medicine also, each cycle women will notice changes in their bodies (less PMT, more regular cycles, less mood changes, fresh red blood at period time) as well as in their BBT charts, so they will literally see and feel their hormones and organ systems (particularly the Liver, Kidneys and Spleen) rebalancing. With these clear changes, they will start to feel hopeful, and with good reason, since pregnancy will often be achieved within 3-6 months of starting acupuncture and herbs in the vast majority of these couples. There is however one caveat to this, and that it is if the sperm is not of high enough quality.

Can acupuncture help improve Sperm Quality?

Yes! Sperm quality is greatly affected by the kidney energy and the liver energy. If these energies are stagnant or diminished, poor sperm quality can be the result.

Causes of poor sperm quality

Stress

Stress is a huge factor in both male and female fertility as it greatly affects the liver and kidney energies, which are so important in the production of sperm. Acupuncture calms the central nervous system, regulates the liver and helps us to feel much calmer, whilst at the same time improving sperm quality.

DNA Fragmentation of Sperm (Oxidative Stress)

it is important to note that even if sperm appears to be of high quality when viewed at the high level of testing of sperm count, motility and morphology, there can still be underlying poor health, known as DNA fragmentation or Oxidative Stress, which can greatly affect the quality of the sperm and therefore the quality of the embryo. Sperm quality plays as vital a role in chromosomal cause of miscarriage as does egg health, as they both contribute to 50% of the embryo’s genetic makeup.

Dormant Infection of Sperm

Men (and women) can sometimes carry a dormant infection which they are unaware of, but which can affect sperm quality. If this is suspected, a course of antibiotics can be prescribed to both partners at the same time, and this will resolve the infection and usually improve the sperm quality over the next 3 months or so.

How can I find out more about how acupuncture can help with Unexplained Infertility?

To find out more about how acupuncture can help with Unexplained Infertility or to make an appointment, fill in the contact form or email Katie at acupuncturehassocks@gmail.com.

All treatments are carried out at Acupuncture Hassocks Clinic based in Ockenden Way, Hassocks, BN6 8HS, West Sussex. The clinic is very near to Hassocks train station, so is easily reachable from Brighton, Burgess Hill or Haywards Heath. If you are travelling by car from Hurstpierpoint, Ditchling or surrounding areas, there is free on road parking.