Acupuncture for fertility

Michelle Blum has over 21 years of experience as an Acupuncture professional and is also a qualified Naturopath, Clinical Nutritionist and Medical Herbalist. Her Acupuncture and Naturopathy practice in the Brisbane South suburb of Moorooka is geared towards:- helping couples prepare for pregnancy; improving their fertility or supporting them by working alongside IVF / IUI.

Many women and couples around the world are especially curious about the role of Acupuncture in fertility. Here are some questions that Michelle is often asked in regards to Acupuncture for fertility. If you have any further questions feel free to get in touch with Michelle here.

Does acupuncture really help with fertility?

There have many many clinical trials conducted which aim to establish whether or not Acupuncture can help with fertility. The results have yielded mixed findings. It seems that because there are so many variables with  Acupuncture, it is difficult to conduct clinical trials that produce meaningful results.  Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are very individualised forms of medicine and no one treatment protocol can be applied to every single person presenting with fertility concerns. In Chinese Medicine, of which Acupuncture is a part, the focus is on treating the underlying pattern of disharmony, which will vary from person to person. Hence, no two treatments are alike.

Acupuncture's role, therefore, is in treating any patterns of disharmony that arise. This leads to a healthier state of being which in turn, positively influences all bodily systems including the reproductive system. 

Acupuncture's role in helping with fertility can be likened to the planting of a seed in that before this is done, the soil must be prepared and the environment must be in its optimal state.

Why does acupuncture help with fertility?

Acupuncture's role in improving fertility is something that is still being established. The aim of Acupuncture is to restore wellness and balance in the body and to ensure that the Qi system is working well. Qi is the energy that is said to circulate throughout the meridians in the body. The state of the pulse, tongue, neck and abdomen reflect the state of your body's Qi. Once your Acupuncturist is able to correct and balance the Qi in the meridians, wellness is said to be restored. One's fertility as well as other bodily functions and processes are said to be corrected and restored when the qi of the body is optimal and flowing well.

How does acupuncture support fertility?

Whilst there are specific points and areas of the body that are assessed and treated that directly relate to your fertility, it is important to address any underlying patterns of disharmony or drivers of suboptimal fertility. These patterns of imbalance are identified by observing and inspecting many aspects of the body including the neck, tongue, pulse and abdomen and are based on the teachings and insights of bygone Japanese Acupuncture masters.

The essence of your Acupuncture treatment is to identify the underlying drivers of your fertility issues and to treat these accordingly. This is done in the following ways-

• By taking a comprehensive case history.

• Checking the radial pulse on both sides of the body as this tells a trained Acupuncturist a lot about the state of your overall health.

• By checking various areas of the neck as each of these tells a story about your overall health.

• By palpating (pressing) your abdomen as there are many reflex areas that have a direct connection to individual organs or energy systems.

• After establishing what your core pattern of dysfunction is, a tailored treatment is then carried out using gentle and delicate needling of the appropriate points.

• Once the needles are gently inserted, your body provides feedback as to how the treatment is working. The earlier diagnostic findings should begin to improve and correct themselves.

• Once your constitutional or core pattern has been addressed then acupuncture points that influence, the ovaries and uterus are then selected and treated.

How many sessions of acupuncture do you need for fertility?

It is recommended that you have fertility Acupuncture treatments on a weekly to fortnightly basis depending on the state of your health and how soon you are making conception attempts or undergoing IVF.

Your treatments may be timed to line up with particular phases of your cycle. For example, if it seems that you are having problems with ovulation, then having your Acupuncture sessions in the first phase of your cycle (follicular phase) is most important. If on the other hand, you may be showing symptoms of hormonal dysregulation in the second phase of your cycle (luteal phase) such as spotting or Pre-Menstrual Tension / Syndrome, then your appointments will be scheduled around this time of your cycle. 

When should you get acupuncture for fertility?

Ideally the sooner a couple or individual begins Acupuncture treatment for fertility the better, given that it takes both egg and sperm between three to four months to regenerate. In other words, as soon as you know you want to start trying to get pregnant, you should consider starting Acupuncture treatment. Initially, the treatments would be scheduled weekly for the first six weeks and then move to fortnightly for most fertility clients.

It is also important to time the treatments around the particular stage of the cycle at which an issue or problem has been detected. For example, if somebody has a problem with delayed ovulation, then it is important to have your treatments scheduled n the first phase of the cycle, known as the follicular phase. If on the other hand, you are having trouble with PMS or period pain then it is important to schedule treatments to coincide with this phase of the cycle.

It is important to note however that your treatment plan will vary as you and your fertility concerns are very individual, hence the timing and frequency of your treatments will be tailored to your specific presentation.

How many times per week should you get acupuncture for fertility?

Usually, it is sufficient to get Acupuncture for fertility once per week or once per fortnight.

How much does fertility acupuncture cost?

In my Acupuncture clinic, your first fertility acupuncture treatment is $140 whilst follow up appointments are $105. All treatments are between 45 mins to 1-hour duration and are eligible for in a clinic, private health fund rebates.

About Japanese acupuncture for fertility?

Japanese Acupuncture is a style of Acupuncture that Michelle has studied over the many years since completing my undergraduate Acupuncture training in 2002.

There are many different styles and teachings of Japanese style Acupuncture with overlapping ideas but essentially, many of the teachings were taught by vision-impaired Acupuncturists who naturally had a heightened sense of touch and ability to read the body based on their palpatory findings (touch/press particular areas of the body).

Japanese style Acupuncture relies on the sensitivity of the Acupuncturist to pick up on the subtle state of various reflex areas on the body. These areas are predominantly on the abdomen, neck and pulse and the state of these reflexes provides clues as to what the underlying problem may be and to where the treatment should be focused.

It is therefore the job of a skilled Acupuncturist to identify the Acupuncture patterns that are most likely the cause of your fertility struggles and to treat these accordingly.

In more recent years, Michelle’s main Japanese Acupuncture teachers and mentors are US based Kiiko Matsumoto and Japan-based Shimamura Sensei both of whom were apprentices of blind Japanese Acupuncturist, Master Nagano. 

Michelle’s teacher Shimamura Sensei likens the body to a tree, where it needs the right balance of water (kidneys) and soil (digestion) so that the trunk (liver) can be stable and solid. The leaves are like the lungs which take in the air. The sun (heart) is a constant which requires the least amount of intervention. Essentially your Acupuncture treatment is about getting the right balance of all of these elements for optimal health and vitality.

Japanese style Acupuncture is a gentle and comfortable style that will leave you feeling most relaxed and replenished.

Michelle will often prescribe take-home exercises for you so that the necessary treatment can continue between treatments

Combining Acupuncture treatments alongside Naturopathic consultations is, in Michelle’s professional opinion the most comprehensive, holistic and natural approach to addressing your fertility.

In Michelle’s fertility focused clinic, she likes to sit down with you and get a full and thorough picture of your general, reproductive and fertility health. She always like to start by ensuring that you have had comprehensive blood tests carried out that look at your general health as well as your hormonal health. If these haven't been done then she will make a list of the most important blood tests needed to help her get a clear picture of what may be some of the underlying drivers of your fertility concerns. These tests can be run by your local GP at little to no cost to you.

Once, she has all of your results, she will then make her professional recommendations as to what the best treatment approach is using a combination of Acupuncture, dietary, nutritional and herbal medicines as well as lifestyle tweaks. This approach combined with regular Acupuncture treatments is a comprehensive, holistic and tailored natural medicine approach to fertility.

If you would like to ask Michelle a few questions about your particular fertility concern, you are welcome to book a complementary 15 minute chat with Michelle over the phone.