Acupuncture Treatment for Infertility

Acupuncture for Infertility

A recent study published in Fertility and Sterility credited acupuncture treatment for infertility increased fertility to 40% over control groups.

IVF with Acupuncture Therapy 42%
In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Only 26%

Who will be appropriate candidates for acupuncture and herbal medicine?

Women with unexplained infertility or hormonal imbalances, such as menstrual irregularities, PMS, high FSH level, absence of ovulation, difficult implantation, and frequent miscarriage, would be encouraged to seek relief from Acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The most frequent cause of unexplained infertility or hormonal imbalance is energy stagnation, which affects blood flow in the pelvic area. Many years of emotional stress, depression, frustration, overwork, and improper diet and lifestyle often play a major role in energy congestion.



Acupuncture can also help Men with Infertility Problems

A study published in the July 2005 issue of the Journal Fertility and Sterility found that acupuncture helped infertile men by apparently helping improve sperm quality in their semen.


Introduction

As specialists in the treatment of reproductive enhancement, we recognize that every person and couple having difficulty conceiving need individualized treatment because no two persons present with the exact same issues. With that customized approach, acupuncture treatment can be an effective means to aid conception in many cases of infertility – endometriosis, ovulation problems, male factor, poor ovarian reserve, poor egg quality, chronic miscarriage, irregular periods.

For the best results, most couples would have greater success trying acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine before attempting more technically advanced methods such as IVF. However, in certain cases of infertility, especially women with disruptions affecting both fallopian tubes, Assisted Reproductive Techniques such as IVF should be the primary treatment with support from acupuncture. In general, women are recommended to implement acupuncture for at least 3-6 months before considering more high risk, toxic, invasive, and expensive techniques such as medications, IUI, and IVF.

Women often feel the need to do as much as medically possible as soon as possible, often due to a sense of running out of time from aging. However, the majority of women will respond to acupuncture without the need of powerful drugs, often resulting in an easier pregnancy and healthier baby.

In cases of male factor infertility, acupuncture can improve sperm quality which will dramatically improve your chance of a natural pregnancy or increasing your success rate with IVF by improving the quality of the embryo and decreasing the chances of a miscarriage.

We believe the reason for the significantly higher success rate in our clinic with couples who use only acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is because these gentle techniques encourage the body to do what it wants to do naturally – that is, to conceive. Balancing the body with emphasis on the hormonal system will allow conception in time.

In many women, the repeated use of hormonal medications to hyper stimulate the ovaries can overly stress the body so that fertilization doesn’t occur because the eggs didn’t have enough time to develop fully or allow the uterine lining to become rich enough in nutrients to allow implantation of the fertilized egg. However, if you are scheduled to start with assisted reproduction sooner, acupuncture will help improve your chances by decreasing your body’s physiological reaction to stress, reducing the side effects of medications, and supporting your uterus for implantation. In these cases, using acupuncture garners more successful results than assisted reproduction technique alone.


How acupuncture & herbs can help throughout the IVF cycle

  • Before (3 months prior to cycle) – in women, improve egg quality and regulate hormones; in men, improve semen quality & quantity.
  • During – increase the number of follicles & improve the quality of the uterine environment by relaxing uterine muscles & thickening uterine lining.
  • After (once pregnant) – prevent miscarriages and minimize symptoms common in the first trimester.

How Chinese medicine can help to improve the success rate

  • Improve the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs
  • Regulate the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles
  • Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining
  • Relaxes the patient to relieve stress related dysfunction
  • Decrease chances of miscarriage by relaxing the uterus
  • Strengthens immune system

Male factor

  • Invigorate the sperm, raising the sperm count and mobility
  • Improved sperm quality

What to expect during your first visit

During the first visit, Olivia Wan-Mei Woo takes a detailed medical history related to infertility; review the details of your menstrual cycle and blood flow during menstruation; gain a thorough understanding of your goals; and examine your whole system. During this process, she often discovers many possible factors that can influence both conception and pregnancy problems that have not yet shown up as a symptom or subtle signs of imbalance that indicate future illness. She puts all these composites together and provides you with a clear personalized assessment and optimal treatment plan.

Having many years of experience in the treatment of women’s health issues, Dr Woo fully recognizes the relationship between a variety of stressful emotions and infertility. She truly believes that negative emotions play a major role in causing hormonal imbalances and other related problems associated with female reproduction, including absent of ovulation, menstrual irregularities, PMS and endometriosis. Indeed, one of the main focuses of her treatment of infertility is to balance the mind and body, help her patients reclaim their lives and spirits and lead them to improve their overall health and well-being.

Her goal is to offer new hope through natural, holistic fertility treatment and gynecological care, bringing experience and compassion for your quest to conceive and helping your dream to become a reality.


Testimonials

Dr Olivia Wan-Mei Woo - Acupuncturist & Herbalist - Welcomes Baby ValerieDue to health issues, I have always had difficulty conceiving children. I have seen a number of infertility doctors over a span of a year with no positive results before deciding to give Dr. Woo a try. After attending 8 weeks of therapy with Dr. Woo, I was ecstatic to find out that I was pregnant. Dr. Wan-Mei Woo is not only very knowledgeable in her field but also a very patient and pleasant individual who genuinely care about the well-being of her clients. I would refer anyone who is in a similar situation as me to see Dr. Woo.


Acupuncturist

Olivia Wan-Mei Woo

41-51 77th Street

Elmhurst, NY 11373

Tel: 718-458-6391

Em: DrWoo@outlook.com

ACCESSIBLE BY:
E, F, R, M, 7 train lines
(74 St, Roosevelt Ave Station)
10 Minutes from Manhattan by train
Private Parking Available

Wan-Mei Woo Acupuncture & Herbal Center

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