During my first trip to an acupuncturist in London two years ago, I was asked to stick out my tongue and heard a lot of, “aha, hmmm.” After a while, this was followed by: “Did you almost die as a child?” He could have pushed me over with a feather at that point. Yes, I did almost die twice from spinal meningitis—which struck viciously at six months and then again when I was eleven years. Somehow, this man’s training in Chinese medicine gave him the tools to see the evidence of that trauma in a line on my tongue. Later when he placed needles (which didn’t hurt, by the way) along my abdomen, clavicle and toes and lit them, I had to trust that he knew what he was doing and these points would help boast my immune system—my reason for going. The experience was relaxing and my allergies appeared to lesson a bit. I stopped seeing him, however, due to the expense—which was $100 a visit. Going every week was eating too much into my budget.
The cost may be worth it, however, for those trying to have a baby. According to studies published in the last two years in the journal, Fertility and Sterility, acupuncture increases success rates of traditional fertility treatments. In one study, for instance, luteal-phase acupuncture, (done just after ovulation and through the remainder of a menstrual cycle) when used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), increased pregnancy rates significantly over those who underwent IVF or ICSI alone. (For more information about IVF or ICSI, see: Fertility Treatments Demystified.) In another study, acupuncture was shown to improve the effectiveness of embryo transfers when done on the day of the transfer.
So, the magic question is how does acupuncture increase a woman’s fertility? According to Lara Rosenthal, MS, Lac., a New York-based acupuncturist and Chinese herbologist specializing in women’s health and fertility, acupuncture works because it is much more than a one-time treatment involving needles. The ancient practice of acupuncture is a holistic approach that delves into a person’s lifestyle and habits—helping them incorporate healthier changes.
“We have basic guidelines with Chinese medicine to enhance fertility. Your reproductive system depends on the whole person being as healthy as [they] can be,” Rosenthal explains.
