Acupuncture can help you have a baby

14 Dec, 2014 - 00:12 0 Views
Acupuncture can help you have a baby

The Sunday Mail

Dr Tafadzwanashe Magodora

Acupuncture needles in a woman's back

Acupuncture needles in a woman’s back

One in six couples are believed to be experiencing difficulty in conceiving.

The contributing causes include leaving parenthood to later in life, increased environmental toxins and stress levels, poor diet and nutrition combined with an increasingly sedentary life.

Making some lifestyle changes, which include but are not restricted to green leafy vegetables in your diet, reducing sweet foods and alcohol consumption and quitting smoking can improve the chances of conception.

Any couple that has been trying to conceive without success finds the whole concept of infertility an emotional roller coaster. For some, the problem may lie in certain conditions such as a thyroid deficiency, polycystic ovaries, an irregular cycle, irregular ovulation or disturbance with sperm motility or abnormal sperm. Unfortunately, these are not uncommon conditions.

Many couples become frustrated with the failure to conceive and then have to go for exhaustive, but I’m afraid fairly necessary conventional testing to diagnose where the problem may lie.

There are also a fair number of couples who, clinically, have absolutely nothing wrong with either partner and this too can be very frustrating!

The good news is that conventional medicine has come along way in helping couples, even though it can be a long process of finding out the diagnosis and then getting help finding the right fertility clinic that will start a procedure.

So where does acupuncture fit in? Well, acupuncture helps to address the original problem.

It is an alternative therapy that was developed over 3 000 years ago in Ancient China, and involves the gentle insertion of fine needles into specific acupuncture points.

The points are manipulated to get a sensation that can be likened to a dull ache or an electrical sensation running through your body.

It is not known exactly how acupuncture works but the needles stimulate the nervous system to promote healing.

The production of endorphins is stimulated and the stress hormone cortisol reduces thus increase the circulation of blood in the body increasing the functions of the body.

In terms of women’s health, it can regulate the menstrual cycle, promote ovulation, regulate hormones and enhance uterine function.

IVF has become a commonly used fertility treatment, and there are different agents and companies in Zimbabwe who are helping people to undergo IVF in South Africa and India.

It involves a specialist retrieving women’s eggs from their ovaries and fertilising it with the male’s sperm. The fertilised eggs are then monitored for three to five days to see how it is progressing before being transferred into the women’s uterus via the cervix.

IVF can be an expensive and stressful experience to go through and the results are not guaranteed with success rates averaging 20-25 percent.

In recent years, there have been several studies completed to examine the results of combining IVF with acupuncture. Having acupuncture in the lead-up to IVF and on the day of transfer can potentially increase chances of successful pregnancy.

According to a 2002 German study, acupuncture seems to be a useful tool for improving pregnancy rates after assisted reproductive techniques.

“The analysis shows that the pregnancy rate for the acupuncture group is considerably higher than for the control group (42,5 percent versus 26,3 percent),” the researchers wrote.

While a study outlined in 2008 in the British Medical Journal indicated that potentially acupuncture can increase the potential of a successful pregnancy by 65 percent, there is need for further study but the results are very promising. But how does acupuncture increase IVF success rate?

It does so by relaxing the nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety levels. It also promotes blood flow in the uterus and improves the quality of the uterine lining for implantation, reduces uterine contractions which improves chances of implantation and improves egg quality and regulates ovulation.

In men it increases motility, quality and quantity of sperm. In both sexes it boosts the immune system.

Stress management is an important part of the process. Stress can interfere with the body’s ability to function at an optimal level, having an acupuncture treatment before and after egg transfer can help manage the impact of stress on the body during this important time in one’s life. Psychological stress can have a negative effect on couples facing fertility problems, as it leads to the release of stress hormones and causes detrimental effects on mechanisms responsible for a normal ovulatory menstrual cycle.

The success of acupuncture for reducing stress and anxiety is due to its beta-endorphin release and sympathetic calming effects.

Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to be over stimulated. Thus, the blood flow is diverted away from the ovaries and uterus to the adrenals (stress coping gland) instead.

This can cause irregular cycles, lack of ovulation, and infertility.

Having your mind and body in balance according to the yin yang theory can greatly enhance your fertility.

Fertility hypnosis sessions in the run-up to the day of transfer can help managing one’s stress levels and minimising their effects on your physical well-being. Recent research has shown that reducing your stress levels can increase your chances of conceiving by 34 percent.

Send your feedback to Dr TB Magodora (MBChB-UZ, DpTCM-Shanghai, China) at [email protected] or call 0774 826 573.

Disclaimer:This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Dr TB Magodora has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

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