(NaturalNews) Of all the available treatments for infertility, acupuncture isn't one that people usually think of first. But as you'll see here, it's actually one of the safest and most effectiveness treatments for infertility known to modern science.
Why does it work so well? Because infertility isn't usually a
physical problem. It's often an issue related to circulation or
energy channels that govern the vitality of your body's organs (including reproductive organs). Rebalancing those bioelectric channels can create enormous healing changes in the function of your reproductive organs.
And the best part? Acupuncture is non-invasive, surprisingly. The needles themselves are virtually painless and barely enter the skin. That's a huge contrast to the highly invasive (and embarrassing) probing, inserting, extracting, injecting and poking around typically undertaken by conventional infertility clinics.
If you (or someone you know) suffers from infertility, you owe it to yourself to
read the quotes that follow so you can educate yourself about the seemingly miraculous ability of acupuncture to treat (and cure) infertility.
Acupuncture treats infertility
A study found that auricular acupuncture was capable of producing results comparable to those of drug therapy in the treatment of infertility. I. Gerhard and F. Postneek, [Possibilities of Therapy by Ear Acupuncture in Female Sterility], Geburtshilfe Frauenheilke 48, no. 3 (March 1988): 165-71. A study examined the effects of moxibustion and
acupuncture on 30 cases of infertility in women ranging from 24 to 37 years of age. Results showed that after just one course of treatment 9 women conceived, with another 8 conceiving after 2 courses of treatment.
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The Woman's Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Dr. Gary NullIn China, acupuncture has been used in the treatment of infertility for centuries. The first published account of this is seen in medical literature dating back to 11 A.D. The Chinese look at five principal organs - the liver, spleen, heart, lung, and kidney - and use acupuncture to release blockages from these systems so that energy or chi can move freely. This helps the body return to good health. Promoting fertility is one benefit that can be obtained. Acupuncture to kidney points releases psychological blocks that interfere with reproduction.
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Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living by Gary NullThe women treated with acupuncture? Twenty-two pregnancies (and no side effects). Finally, a study at the Fertility Clinic Trianglen in Denmark concluded that "acupuncture ... significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) compared to no acupuncture." Best of all, acupuncture for
infertility is truly a "whole person" treatment that looks at the woman as much more than just a dysfunctional reproductive system. "People come into my office and they're completely unprepared for conception," Lawrence told me.
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The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.In a preliminary trial, women who did not ovulate were treated with acupuncture 30 times over three months. Effectiveness was determined by a combination of measures indicating ovulation was returning to normal. Acupuncture treatment resulted in a marked improvement in 35% and slight improvement in 48% of trial participants. The beneficial results achieved with acupuncture may be due to alterations in the hormonal messages from the brain to the ovary. Auricular (ear) acupuncture has been studied in a preliminary trial and compared with standard hormone therapy for treatment of infertility.
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The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.Acupuncture has proven to be effective in treating many cases of infertility. Consult a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine who will make a diagnosis of the cause and advise on how best to treat it with acupuncture. Herbal formulas may also be recommended.
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1000 Cures for 200 Ailments: Integrated Alternative and Conventional Treatments for the Most Common Illnesses by Marshall EditionsYou might want to consider acupuncture. Acupuncture might not be the first thing you think of if you're having a problem with infertility, but maybe it should be. Studies - and a great deal of clinical experience - suggest that it might help, even if you're already undergoing standard therapies like in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination. Acupuncture is actually one of the oldest medical practices in the world.
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The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.The World Health Organization has published a list of over fifty diseases successfully treated with acupuncture. Included on the list are sinusitis, asthma, arthritis, the common cold, headaches (including migraine), constipation, diarrhea, sciatica, and lower back pain. Acupuncture has also been effective in the treatment of allergies, addictions, insomnia, stress, depression, infertility, and menstrual problems. Chinese herbs are the most common element of Chinese medicine as it is currently practiced in China.
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Sinus Survival: The Holistic Medical Treatment for Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds, and Sinusitis (rev., 3rd ed.) by Robert IvkerHirsch connects another psychological issue - low self-esteem - to endometriosis and infertility: "In treating self-esteem issues, I work on the heart and kidney points. The acupuncture points that seem extremely valuable for this are pericardium 5 and 6. If a practitioner is having a problem with understanding whether or not a psychological issue is involved in the infertility, and the patient does not know what the issue is, pericardium 5 can be needled. If something is holding the person back, that will bring an event or dream to memory, and the patient will understand why she is stuck.
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Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living by Gary NullNatural methods for infertility are most effective in anovulatory dysfunction. Acupuncture can increase pregnancy rates in women undergoing fertility treatment. The decision to pursue conventional
fertility treatments depends on age, the duration and cause of the infertility, the results of ovarian-reserve testing, finances, other health issues, emotional well-being, and thoughts and emotions about adoption or surrogate options. Seek a fertility specialist if considering conventional fertility treatments.
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Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness by Tori Hudson, N.D.One small, preliminary study found that auricular acupuncture (acupuncture of the ear) was as effective as hormone therapy in treating infertility due to endometriosis.
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The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful. Indeed, one of those areas of "further research" has been infertility. And the results have been hard to argue with.
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The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.A controlled study of men with reduced sperm function found that one measure of sperm function significantly improved in the men treated with acupuncture (two times per week for five weeks) compared to controls. Similar results have been reported in other studies. Nevertheless, double-blind trials are needed to determine conclusively whether acupuncture is a useful treatment for male infertility.
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The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.Hirsh sees many patients in conjunction with Western doctors for infertility problems and is able to design acupuncture treatments that complement and support the other medical procedures. He frequently gives acupuncture treatment to women who have just been artificially inseminated, and he works with patients taking Clomid (a fertility drug) to help regulate the woman's fertility cycle. As Dr. Hirsh states, "Traditional Chinese medicine can increase the success rate of Western medicine and at the same time slow down the clock on a woman's aging endocrine system."
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Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.As of this writing, more than eight million American adults have had acupuncture treatment. As practiced by licensed practitioners who undergo extensive training and are often trained in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as well, it is completely safe and quite effective for a number of conditions. One of those conditions is infertility. The Yin, the Yang, and Baby Makes Three Acupuncture, like TCM, is based on a concept of the body as a balance of forces - yin (the cold, the slow, and the passive) and yang (the hot, the excited, and the active).
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The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.Chinese drugs in combination with clomiphene citrate and progesterone have proved more effective than treatment with either Chinese or Western drugs alone, and a Chinese technique combining moxibustion and acupuncture has had some success in treating infertility. Factors shown to contribute to difficulty conceiving are smoking, even moderately; exposure to nitrous oxide; and environmental hazards like pesticides, methyl mercury, and lead in tap water.
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Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living by Gary NullForty patients were treated with neon laser acupuncture, retention enemas, and injection into the endometrial nodes with common sage root, which is a blood-vitalizing or blood-moving herb. In the forty patients treated, the size of lumps diminished and symptoms disappeared in seventeen. Thirteen women conceived. Among these, six had suffered from fallopian tube blockage and seven from ovulatory dysfunction. There was a total amelioration rate of 97.5 percent. Another important consideration in reversing endometriosis and infertility is good sexual hygiene.
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The Woman's Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Dr. Gary NullAcupuncture by a licensed professional with experience working with fertility issues appears to be safe and well tolerated. Ginseng species are an important consideration in infertility due to their ability to enhance overall health, vitality, stamina, and endurance. Siberian ginseng may be able to promote regulation of reproductive hormones, thereby regulating the timing of ovulation.
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Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness by Tori Hudson, N.D.Various complementary medicine systems provide treatment for infertility, including homeopathy, acupuncture, and chiropractic; inquire from their respective professional associations. Above all, keep hoping. Conception involves a fair amount of mystery and miracles are constantly taking place. I recently heard about a woman who conceived her second child normally after having to undergo in vitro fertilization treatment to conceive the first time because her cervical mucus made antibodies against her husband's sperm.
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The Woman's Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Dr. Gary NullWeschler encourages women to spend more time outside during daylight hours, and to try traditional Chinese medicine practices like acupuncture, which has proved very helpful both in reducing stress and in resolving the hormonal imbalances that can lead to infertility.
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Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series (Green This!) by Deirdre ImusKidneys and bladder are related and have to be treated as one in acupuncture. Within the kidneys', 'essence' is stored, and they govern all that is secluded and dormant and that is hoarded up. Their condition is disclosed in the bones and head hair." CHINESE FOLK MEDICINE relates to the urine and the sexual secretions. The health of the Water element affects the energy flow during the sexual act, and the health of the function of reproduction. Sexual fluids help lubricate and protect the sperm and egg. Problems like impotence or infertility may arise from a Water imbalance.
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Staying Healthy With the Seasons by Elson M. Haas
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
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