Growing your family can fill you with anticipation and hope. Going through baby name books and planning a nursery are all magical moments….
But what if it doesn’t?
According to the National Institute of Health, fertility problems affect about “9% of men and about 11% of women of reproductive age in the United States.”
No one expects to go through the disappointment of a negative test month after month. It does happen, but you are not alone.
From everyday families to those that aim to inspire through their journey of infertility and adoption like Phil and Alex on Youtube, there are many who, like you, are walking the path of infertility. And some couples have been seeking acupuncture as a way to help increase the potential of achieving pregnancy.
We’ll take a look at what the research shows, the success rates, pros and cons, side effects, how many sessions you may need, and the cost of seeking acupuncture treatment for fertility.
Research
There have been studies on how acupuncture can help support and boost fertility in both men and women. This one study, in particular, published by the Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, found that when treating fertility challenges that:
Improved: Acupuncture can help improve fertility in both men and women.
Men: Acupuncture can help improve sperm quality.
Women: Acupuncture can help prove the function of the ovaries, ovulation, and help balance both hormones and the endocrine system for better chances of a positive pregnancy.
Success Rates
Due to its recent use, results for the success rates of acupuncture for fertility, in particular, aren’t recorded optimally. The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports a 79.7% mean success rate in general acupuncture for non-oncological symptoms.
Pros and cons
The pros of using acupuncture to help you become pregnant include:
- Increase: A potential increase fertility for both men and women
- Relief: Wonderful stress relief from the endorphins released
- Safe: When being treated by a trained and experienced acupuncturist, acupuncture for fertility is considered safe in most aspects.
The cons may include:
- Sensitivity: In cases of extreme sensitivity, one may experience discomfort with the insertion of the needles
- Time: It can take time to experience the benefits of acupuncture for fertility. Not all people respond to acupuncture in the same timing or number of fertility treatments.
How Many Sessions?
The number of acupuncture treatments needed for infertility will depend on if male or female factor infertility is being treated with the help of acupuncture.
One of the best ways of discovering how many sessions will increase and boost your fertility, talk to your acupuncturist when creating your acupuncture treatment plan.
Cost
Costs average about $85 per session in San Francisco, with the national average being closer to $75. The UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine offers treatment packages of one, four, and eight treatments with various prices per treatment from $65 to $85. You may find similar pricing from your local acupuncturist.
If you plan on having three treatments a week for a period of five weeks, then you would be looking at a total cost of around $1,125 to utilize acupuncture for fertility.
However, do not let cost get in the way of trying acupuncture as for boosting fertility—check out our guide on acupuncture costs, potential discounts, and ways to save.
When to get Acupuncture
Results can also be very effective when you happen to have an amount of stress you need relieved, as this is one of the essential aspects of acupuncture for fertility. No matter if you are trying to overcome male or female infertility or both, talking to an acupuncturist about the best timing to help with infertility is always recommended.
Want to know more about the specifics of how acupuncture of male or female infertility?
Read more at:
Acupuncture and Female
Acupuncture and Male Infertility
References
C; Vas J; Aguilar I; Perea-Milla E; Méndez. “Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Related Techniques in Treating Non-Oncological Pain in Primary Healthcare–an Audit.” Acupuncture in Medicine: Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17641567/.
Zhu, Jihe, et al. “Acupuncture Treatment for Fertility., Republic of Macedonia, 19 Sept. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182526/.