Acupuncture Points for Fertility

Acupuncture is a technique that originated in China and has been practiced as a healing art for ages in the Eastern world. Though its prominence in the Western world is quite recent, it is fast gaining popularity as an alternative therapy. There are several benefits associated to it, such as treatment of common medical conditions like sore throat, high blood pressure, constipation, kidney stones, etc. Acupuncture therapy is carried out with the help of needles of different lengths which are inserted into specific areas on the skin to balance the energy flow in the human body. These points are termed as acupuncture points. They are widely used to treat infertility in both females as well as males.

Acupuncture for Fertility Treatment

• In Females: Its use for fertility treatment is a highly debated topic, but statistics have proved that it is highly beneficial for functional problems when the treatment is carried out alongside IVF treatment. As per Chinese belief, when there is an imbalance in the combined function of the uterus, kidney, liver and blood, it causes infertility. Acupuncture cannot be used for treatment of structural problems like fallopian tube blockage. It aids fertility by increasing the blood flow in the reproductive organs and mainly by balancing the hormone levels in females. This results in better quality of eggs, thickening of uterine lining, reduction of stress, which increases the chances of conceiving.
• In Males: Infertility in men is an increasing phenomenon in the present world we live in. Studies have proved that every 3 out of 10 men suffer from this problem. So this therapy has come as a boon, as success of infertility drugs is relatively low in case of males. Acupuncture helps by balancing the hormonal levels and improving kidney functions, thus increasing the sperm vitality and quality.

Acupuncture Points to Treat Infertility

There are more than 400 acupuncture points used for various treatments, and selecting the correct points for each treatment is a very complex process. The most commonly asked question while discussing its role in fertility treatments is: Where are such points found on the body that can be helpful in fertility treatment? It is not an easy task to identify such points and it varies according to the acupuncturist and the uniqueness in condition of the patient. Also, this varies according to the ancient Chinese theory and their belief that the acupuncture points are located in the spleen, kidney, liver, bladder, along with the conception vessel. But as per Western study, such points are along the lower abdominal area, buttock area, back of the legs and the lower back. Practitioners usually follow either of these 3 methods to identify those points in the body.

• An experienced practitioner identifies the acupuncture points by following the research and studies on successful cases and repeats treatment using the same points.
• Some of them identify the points on a case to case basis and carry out the treatment by palpating the body to find tender areas and blockages. Also, in females, the points are decided as per the menstrual cycle, and different combinations are used as per the phase. If the patient is taking acupuncture treatment as an addition to IVF treatment, then too a different set of acupuncture point combinations are used, depending on the stage of the IVF treatment.
• Some practitioners identify the points by the traditional way in which the names of points are used as the guide. Some standard acupuncture points for fertility treatment have been followed for ages and this method is widely followed by acupuncturists. On basis of this theory, the names of some commonly used points are CV 3, CV 4, CV 6, GV 3, GV 4, LiV 3, LiV 8, SP 6, St 36, UB 20, UB 23.

When medical science today is so advanced, what makes one take up alternative therapy like acupuncture for fertility. Does it work? The success of any treatment lies in the correct diagnosis, and in case of acupuncture therapy, the key to success lies in identifying the right points for fertility treatment as per the patient's need. Utmost care should be taken that one takes the treatment under an experienced and certified acupuncturist. With minimal risks attached in terms of side effects, more and more people have opened up to this form of treatment. Another factor that contributes towards its popularity is the cost. Acupuncture treatment comes at a much lower cost than any conventional form of fertility treatment and is covered by most of the private insurances.