How Acupuncture Can Improve Egg Quality And Age-Related Infertility Issues

Many women believe that once they reach the age of forty, it will be impossible for them to get pregnant on their own. It’s also a mainstream belief that the chances of a woman over forty getting pregnant without the help of IVF and IUI are very slim. But neither of these beliefs is entirely true. While it may be fair to say that a woman in her forties is less fertile than a woman in her twenties or thirties, it’s certainly possible for a woman in her forties, or even fifties, to get pregnant, and acupuncture can help. In this post, we’ll be taking a look at how acupuncture can improve egg quality and age-related infertility issues.

Acupuncture supports hormonal balance in women across age groups, and can improve ovarian function and egg quality even in older women. Additionally, acupuncture supports uterine health to improve your chances of conception and pregnancy. 

Acupuncture improves hormone levels

One of the reasons why women may experience age-related infertility issues is because of hormonal changes and imbalances. Estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate from cycle to cycle, even among younger reproductive-age women. As women get older, their bodies produce less estrogen. This drop in estrogen is normal, but it can impact fertility.

Estrogen is essential for pregnancy as it supports the development of the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. When estrogen levels are low, the endometrium tends to be thin, unhealthy, and unreceptive to implantation. Low estrogen levels can make it impossible to get pregnant, whether you’re using assisted reproduction or not.

Research shows that acupuncture can be used to boost estrogen levels. Acupuncture also supports progesterone and prolactin levels, two additional hormones that play an important role in pregnancy. Progesterone supports gestation, while prolactin also supports pregnancy as well as breastfeeding.

Whether you’re a woman in her forties trying to get pregnant on her own, or you’re looking into IVF and IUI treatments to maximize your chances of conception, acupuncture can be used as an adjunct therapy to support healthy hormone levels. 

Acupuncture improves ovarian reserve and function

With your hormones balanced, this will go a long way toward establishing healthy menstrual cycles. But if you’re over forty, getting a period every 28 to 35 days does not necessarily mean you’re ovulating, too. And because ovulation is key to conception, it’s important to do everything you can to keep your ovaries in good working order.

Acupuncture can be used to enhance blood flow to the reproductive organs. The ovaries, in particular, benefit from this increase in circulation as it provides them with freshly oxygenated red blood cells, as well as hormones that they need to function properly.

In one study, women over the age of 37 who received acupuncture treatments had significantly more mature oocytes during IVF retrieval than women undergoing IVF treatments alone. Another study illustrated acupuncture’s ability to support ovulation by regulating hormones, even in women with an underlying hormonal condition (PCOS).

Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or are looking to support healthy ovulation before your IVF egg retrieval, acupuncture can be used to improve ovarian health and enhance the quality of your eggs even into your forties.

Acupuncture supports uterine health

Good blood flow to the reproductive organs doesn’t just mean better ovarian health, it also means better uterine health. Keeping the uterus toned and ensuring adequate blood flow to the womb will both help support the development of a healthy endometrium. Adequate circulation to the uterus also prevents contractions before IUI treatments and IVF transfers, which can further enhance your chances of conception.

Of course, the importance of uterine health extends beyond conception and implantation. It’s equally important for sustaining a healthy pregnancy. Acupuncture can help you throughout your pregnancy, supporting blood flow to the uterus to nourish your growing baby.

Many expecting mothers use acupuncture throughout their pregnancies, not just to ease their pregnancy symptoms (say goodbye to morning sickness!), but also to help prepare for labor. Older mothers are at increased risk of a breech birth. Fortunately, acupuncture can be used to turn your baby in the proper position before labor, so you can have an easier delivery. 

Other therapies can help, too

Acupuncture is a wonderful option for older women who wish to become pregnant, but it’s not the only therapy we have at our disposal to improve reproductive health. Herbal medicine can also be effective. Although you should never use these remedies without professional guidance, with the help of a licensed herbalist, herbal medicine has been used to restore fertility in many women over forty.

Dietary choices also play an important role in a woman’s fertility. Certain superfoods, like yams, goji berries, and cinnamon, can be introduced into the diet to support healthy hormone levels as well as ovulation. Lifestyle modifications may be useful as well in certain situations. Getting plenty of exercise can support healthy hormone levels and a healthy pelvic floor.

Massage therapy and a good stress management program are highly effective as well. Stressors are everywhere and over time, we tend to store up all of our anxieties in our muscles, causing pain. Chronic stress leads to out-of-control cortisol levels, too, and that also spells bad news for your fertility.

Whatever may be contributing to your fertility struggles, we offer a wide variety of treatment methods. We’ll sit down with you to discuss your fertility goals and help you come up with a treatment protocol that supports you. 

Book an appointment with us today

If you’re a woman over the age of forty looking to get pregnant, you can improve your reproductive health with the help of acupuncture. This centuries-old holistic practice is powerful enough that it can be used alone, yet gentle enough that it can be used in tandem with conventional fertility-support medications and assisted reproduction treatments.

To learn more about how acupuncture can help you get pregnant, contact our office today to book an appointment. At Integrative Healing Arts, we’ve helped countless women get pregnant, even well into their forties. We would love the opportunity to help you, too!

Impressive Acupuncture And IUI Studies

Assisted reproductive technologies have helped countless couples welcome the babies of their dreams. Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is a particularly popular choice thanks to its non-invasive nature and relative affordability. Because IUI is still a medical intervention, it’s not unreasonable to have some reservations about the procedure’s effectiveness. If you want to do everything you can to improve your IUI experience and it is a success, acupuncture could prove to be the support to enlist in your fertility plan. Let’s take a look at these impressive acupuncture and IUI studies to find out exactly how acupuncture can help you get pregnant.

Research shows acupuncture improves hormone levels and supports healthy ovulation, which is critical for IUI success. By enhancing blood flow to the uterus, acupuncture prepares the endometrium for conception to boost your chances of implantation. 

Acupuncture supports hormonal health

Acupuncture has been used for centuries to address all manner of hormonal issues. At Integrative Healing Arts, we use acupuncture to treat many hormonal conditions, including PCOS, endometriosis, idiopathic infertility, and everything in between. When it comes to enhancing your fertility in preparation for IUI, acupuncture has a proven track record.

In a study that evaluated acupuncture’s effects on estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), researchers found that acupuncture increases estrogen and progesterone during the first half of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase), and decreases estrogen and progesterone levels during the second half of the menstrual cycle (luteal phase).

Although this rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone does not perfectly mimic the natural pattern of hormone production throughout the menstrual cycle, the study illustrates that acupuncture can be used to our advantage when preparing for IUI. Improving estrogen and progesterone levels at the beginning of the menstrual cycle can help the body balance hormones. This means we can use acupuncture to help women normalize their menstrual cycles before and during their IUI procedure. 

Acupuncture aids in healthy ovulation 

Healthy hormone levels support healthy ovulation. When estrogen and progesterone levels are in perfect harmony, and FSH and LH levels are working together, it’s much easier to achieve ovulation. And good ovulation is a major step toward success for any woman undergoing IUI treatments. Now, let’s look at another study, this time, one that illustrates acupuncture’s effectiveness at boosting ovulation.

In this study, which compared the effects of acupuncture on women with PCOS, participants who received acupuncture for a period of 10 to 13 weeks ovulated more frequently than participants in the control group. The study noted that ovulation in the acupuncture group was high at 41%. Researchers believe the increase in ovulation in women with PCOS who received acupuncture was due to the treatment’s ability to reduce testosterone levels, which can inhibit ovulation.

It’s also worth noting that acupuncture can support ovulation simply by increasing blood flow to the ovaries. Adequate circulation to the reproductive tract ensures the ovaries have ready access to red blood cells and oxygen, both of which support ovulation. Additionally, good blood flow is critical in ensuring the ovaries receive all of the hormones they need to function properly.

Because acupuncture supports healthy ovulation, it can be an invaluable tool for women undergoing IUI treatments. Acupuncture is so powerful when it comes to boosting ovarian health that many women choose to undergo acupuncture treatment during IVF stimulation to boost their chances of producing a viable embryo.

Acupuncture prepares the uterus for conception

Fertility is multifaceted with many different factors at play. Getting your hormones balanced and supporting ovulation are perhaps the most important steps in restoring and maintaining your reproductive health. But preparing the uterus for conception is another important step, and it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Here’s another study, one that examines acupuncture’s ability to prepare the uterus for assisted reproductive therapies including IUI and IVF transfer. The study found that women who received acupuncture in addition to IUI had significantly higher pregnancy and live birth rates than women who underwent IUI treatments alone.

According to the study, women who received acupuncture before and during the IUI process were 3 to 4 times more likely to conceive and 3 to 4 times more likely to give birth. The authors of the study believe this effect is, in part, due to acupuncture’s ability to increase blood flow to the uterus. Adequate circulation helps tone the uterus to prevent contractions, which can inhibit conception after IUI. 

Acupuncture can help you sustain a pregnancy

It’s estimated that 88% of successful IUIs happen within three cycles, and 95% of successful IUIs happen within four cycles. Although it’s possible to get pregnant during your first IUI procedure, it’s not unusual to need several rounds before a pregnancy “sticks”. Conceiving is one thing, but implantation is another. Fortunately, acupuncture can be used to support the implantation process.

For some women, recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is the underlying cause of their infertility. This can be a frustrating setback for women trying to get pregnant and can create more uncertainty about IUI treatments. However, research shows that acupuncture can improve the odds of implantation, making it a suitable adjunct therapy for women who tend to suffer from early pregnancy loss.

In this study, acupuncture was shown to benefit women who struggled with RIF by increasing the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR). Researchers aren’t entirely sure how acupuncture supports implantation. However, it’s believed that because acupuncture redirects blood flow to the uterus, this enables the body to produce a healthy endometrium, which makes the uterus more receptive to implantation. 

Get in touch with our office today

Acupuncture has many benefits to offer women undergoing IUI treatments, but other therapies have been found to be effective as well. Studies also show that herbal medicine can benefit women receiving IUI and other assisted reproductive treatments.

At Integrative Healing Arts, we utilize multiple holistic therapies on a case-by-case basis to help our clients overcome their fertility challenges and finally get pregnant. We’re here to help you, too!

Get in touch with our office today to learn more about how acupuncture can support you during fertility treatments. We’ll work with you to create a customized treatment plan that supports you on your path to pregnancy.

When To Do Acupuncture For IUI

Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is the fertility treatment of choice for many couples. IUI is less invasive than IVF treatments because there are fewer hormones if any involved. It is less expensive, which adds to its appeal. If you and your partner are contemplating IUI treatments, or if you already have your IUI procedure scheduled, you’re probably eager to do everything you can to enhance your chances of getting pregnant. Acupuncture can help, but how can you know when to do acupuncture for IUI to maximize your chances of success?

Ideally, you should begin acupuncture 1 to 3 months before IUI. An acupuncture session 24 to 36 hours prior to and after your IUI transfer can also boost your chances of getting pregnant. 

Why use acupuncture during IUI?

Acupuncture has been used for centuries to help women regulate their menstrual cycles, begin ovulating, and improve their fertility naturally. If you’ve tried getting pregnant on your own without success, and are now considering IUI treatments, acupuncture can be of great assistance for you as you embark on your journey to pregnancy.

Research shows acupuncture can help prepare the body for IUI. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus, toning it and reducing uterine contractions, which can prevent a successful procedure. The enhanced circulation to the uterus results in a thicker and more receptive endometrium, which is also essential for a successful IUI procedure.

Hormonal balance is equally important, whether you’re trying to get pregnant naturally or with the help of IUI. Healthy hormone levels are critical for sustaining a pregnancy. Studies show acupuncture exerts an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, regulating stress levels. If you’re trying to conceive, you know how stressful it can be. Keeping stress levels in check is of the utmost importance to optimize sex hormone production.

Overall, acupuncture works on multiple levels to prepare the body for pregnancy. IUI treatments are a worthy investment, and acupuncture can act as a safeguard, improving your chances of getting pregnant. Acupuncture is also safe enough to be used during pregnancy.

Acupuncture promotes IUI success

During IVF treatments, an embryo is created outside of the woman’s body and then transferred into the uterus. The IUI process is different because everything happens inside the woman's body. During IUI, semen is guided inside the uterus during the fertility window, and it’s up to the woman’s body to produce the embryo. IUI is sometimes called a “natural IUI” because it uses the rhythm and timing of the menstrual cycle.

IUI has the potential to be incredibly successful because it places the sperm right where it needs to be at the right time to maximize a woman’s chances of getting pregnant. But because IUI leaves conception up to the woman’s body, that means making sure the body is ready for pregnancy is crucial. This is where acupuncture supports this process.

Studies show acupuncture supports healthy ovulation, improving blood flow to the ovaries, and even increasing ovarian reserve. Furthermore, acupuncture has been shown to improve the quality of a woman’s eggs, and all of these things together can dramatically improve your chances of getting pregnant after IUI.

Regular ovulatory cycles are a good sign that your body is producing sex hormones in the right amounts. Acupuncture supports the body’s ability to produce estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). Keeping this “orchestra” of hormones in harmony will set your body up for successful implantation after your IUI procedure.

Start your treatments several months in advance

Acupuncture is safe and gentle, yet incredibly effective, and that’s thanks in large part to its adaptogenic nature. Unlike certain fertility medications, which intrude and override bodily systems to respond a certain way, acupuncture works with your body, supporting your body’s ability to improve your fertility on its own. But, because acupuncture is so gentle and works with your timing, it works best over time not as a “quick” fix. One treatment is great, but regular treatments over a period of time will provide you with longer-lasting benefits.

We recommend our IUI patients begin acupuncture sessions at least 1 to 3 months in advance of their IUI transfer.

It can never be too early to start receiving acupuncture for your health and fertily, but there can be too little that is done. Beginning acupuncture sessions up to a year before IUI to get your body ready for the treatments is an ideal opportunity to address health issues that you may not have been aware of. If you have underlying hormonal imbalances or are dealing with a condition like PCOS, these need to be addressed at least a year before in order to support your fertility.

If you already receive regular acupuncture treatments and are now considering IUI, be sure to discuss this with your acupuncturist so they can adjust your treatment plan accordingly. And, if you’re currently in the middle of your IUI treatments, that’s okay! It’s never too late to start reaping the benefits of acupuncture. Routine sessions will help you throughout the IUI process by keeping you relaxed and preparing your body for conception. 

Schedule sessions before and after your procedure

Regular acupuncture sessions are ideal for preparing the body for pregnancy. Part of receiving acupuncture for supporting IUI is a well-timed appointment before and after your IUI procedure. This can boost the odds of pregnancy by helping to relieve stress and supporting blood flow to minimize cramping. It’s important to work closely with your acupuncturist during this time to schedule your sessions around your IUI date.

Women undergoing IUI should schedule an acupuncture appointment 24 to 36 hours before their IUI. Another appointment 24 to 36 hours after the procedure is also recommended along with follow-up sessions for several weeks to support implantation.

Why timing is important; a session before and after your IUI procedure redirects blood to the uterus. This nourishes the endometrium and supports conception. If and when conception does take place, acupuncture also supports implantation and sets you up for a successful and healthy pregnancy.

Acupuncture can even help you during your pregnancy by easing the symptoms associated with pregnancy. Many women choose to continue acupuncture treatments throughout pregnancy to ensure their babies stay in the proper position and to help them prepare for labor. 

Contact us today to learn more

When it comes to supporting your fertility in the months leading to your IUI, we like to take a big-picture approach. At Integrative Healing Arts, we’ll sit down with you to discuss your fertility goals and come up with a protocol that meets your body’s needs.

In addition to acupuncture, we may recommend other treatments, like massage therapy or herbal medicine, to help you achieve total body balance. 

Contact our office today to find out how acupuncture can help you as you begin your IUI treatments. We’ll help you book your first appointment so you can get started!

Using Acupuncture For Irregular Periods

Acupuncture can be used to treat many conditions, from joint pain to digestive ailments to seasonal allergies. Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular for addressing hormonal issues. Many women experience irregular periods and find it difficult to get things back on track, no matter what they do. If you want to focus on your fertility and support hormonal health, using acupuncture for irregular periods can help you do just that. But what makes acupuncture so effective? Here’s how it works.

Acupuncture helps women with irregular cycles restore balance by regulating estrogen and progesterone levels. Keeping stress under control is also important; regular acupuncture sessions have a calming effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which further supports healthy cycles. 

How can you tell if you have irregular periods?

Many women believe that “irregular periods” are simply periods that are either too long or too short, and that it’s normal for periods to be painful, or even debilitating. Unfortunately, some medical professionals reinforce this incorrect notion and dismiss abnormal menstrual symptoms.

Healthy menstrual cycles 1.) are anywhere between 28 and 35 days in length, 2.) ovulatory, and 3.) do not cause significant pain or other menstrual-related symptoms at any point throughout the cycle, beyond those that could reasonably be expected based on normal hormonal fluctuations.

So, when we say “irregular periods”, we’re referring to any menstrual abnormality that is not observed in healthy menstrual cycles.

Irregular periods are periods that are less than 21 days or more than 35 days apart. Periods that are very light or very heavy are also considered irregular. If you miss a period for three months in a row, this is called amenorrhea and falls under the “irregular period” category. Periods that last for more than a week, or that cause severe and debilitating symptoms, like extreme pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or fainting, are also classified as irregular. 

How does acupuncture support hormonal balance?

When it comes to periods, estrogen and progesterone are the two key players. 

At the start of menstruation (the follicular phase), estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, and they remain relatively low for about a week. During the second week of menstruation, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to rise, peaking just before ovulation halfway through the cycle, dipping briefly, only to begin rising once more. The second half of the menstrual cycle (the luteal phase), lasts, ideally, 14 days, after which point estrogen and progesterone fall again, and this triggers the lining of the uterus to shed.

For a woman to experience healthy menstrual cycles, her estrogen and progesterone levels must be kept in balance, and they must follow this pattern. Chronically low or elevated levels of estrogen and/or progesterone can result in irregular periods. Having too much or too little estrogen or progesterone at the wrong point in your cycle can also create problems.

Signs that you may be experiencing estrogen/progesterone imbalance include:

• Periods that are less too long or too short

• Periods that are too heavy or too light

• Painful periods

• Blood clots

• Swollen breasts

• Breast pain

• Mood swings

• Fatigue

• Dizziness

• Bloating

• Cramping

• Weight gain, especially during the last week of your cycle

• Luteal phase defect

• Anovulation

Whatever your hormonal imbalance issues, acupuncture can help you normalize your cycles. Studies show that acupuncture regulates estrogen and progesterone, encouraging higher levels of these hormones during the follicular phase, and lower levels in the luteal phase. This mimics the body’s natural hormone pattern, which means acupuncture can be used to help restore hormonal balance.

Research also shows that acupuncture is powerful enough to help women with chronic hormonal conditions, like PCOS, regulate their cycles. Acupuncture’s adaptogenic nature makes this centuries-old treatment suitable for women of all ages, regardless of the underlying cause of their irregular cycles.

Can acupuncture promote ovulation?

With your sex hormones optimized, the trickle-down issues of hormonal imbalance soon begin to resolve. By supporting healthy estrogen and progesterone levels, this naturally enhances ovarian function and, ultimately, induces ovulation.

Some women believe that ovulation is only important if you’re trying to get pregnant. But ovulation is a sign of good reproductive health. So if you have anovulatory cycles, it’s worth digging deeper to find out why and using holistic therapies, like acupuncture, to support your fertility.

Research shows acupuncture influences the HPA axis. This biofeedback loop is responsible for controlling the body’s response to stress. It also plays a role in determining how much follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) to make. These two hormones stimulate the ovaries, so they release follicles and those follicles mature properly.

Research shows acupuncture normalizes FSH and LH levels to help restore ovulation. Furthermore, acupuncture increases blood flow to the ovaries, nourishing them, and increasing your ovarian reserve — three welcome benefits for any woman undergoing IVF stimulation.

Acupuncture reduces stress and helps restore healthy menstrual cycles

How stress affects the menstrual cycle is different from one woman to the next. For some women, stress stops menstruation. For others, it leads to shorter cycles or heavy bleeding and cramping. Either way, chronic stress has a detrimental effect on the menstrual cycle.

Stress hormones and sex hormones are inextricably linked. Fortunately, acupuncture is highly effective at normalizing both. At the same time acupuncture is working to optimize your sex hormones, it’s bringing stress hormones back into balance, too.

Acupuncture gently stimulates the nervous system, soothing an overreactive HPA axis and promoting normal stress hormone levels. Once the body begins to realize that stress levels have gone down, it inevitably begins focusing on fertility.

We often recommend acupuncture to women undergoing IVF treatments, as this can be a stressful process. Using acupuncture in combination with your IVF can significantly improve your chances of a successful embryo transfer. 

Get in touch with us today

If you’re experiencing irregular periods, don’t ignore them. Restore hormonal balance and eliminate your menstrual-related symptoms with the healing powers of acupuncture. 

Contact our office today to book an appointment, and to learn more about the many holistic therapies and wellness programs we have to offer. 

From your very first visit with Integrative Healing Arts, we’ll help you pinpoint the underlying cause of your symptoms, and come up with a holistic treatment plan that restores regular menstrual cycles.

Why You Should Consider Acupuncture For Ovulation Induction

Are you and your partner thinking of expanding your family soon? Whether you’re trying to get pregnant on your own or with the help of IVF treatments, acupuncture can be used to enhance your fertility naturally. Acupuncture is particularly helpful when it comes to supporting ovulation. Even in women who have underlying hormonal conditions, like PCOS, acupuncture has been found to be helpful for supporting healthy menstrual cycles and restoring ovulation. If you’re looking for ways to enhance your sexual health, here are some very good reasons why you should consider acupuncture for ovulation induction.

Acupuncture increases circulation to the ovaries, which supports ovulation and increases ovarian reserve. Additionally, acupuncture can balance hormones to support regular menstrual cycles and your fertility overall. 

Acupuncture balances hormones

Healthy menstrual cycles start with healthy hormone levels. One of the biggest reasons women fail to ovulate is because their hormones are out of balance. Acupuncture has been used for decades to restore hormones and boost fertility.

We all experience stress, and some degree of stress is actually healthy. But when stress becomes overwhelming, this has a negative effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Chronic stress puts you in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight mode, but acupuncture can help restore balance.

Acupuncture gently stimulates the nervous system to regulate stress hormones like cortisol and DHEA. If you’ve ever had acupuncture, you know how relaxing it can be. Regular acupuncture sessions signal the HPA axis to “gear down”, so to speak, to help you feel calmer and more relaxed.

Meanwhile, acupuncture also promotes sex hormone production. Acupuncture has been shown to raise estrogen and progesterone during the follicular stage of the menstrual cycle, which supports ovulation. Acupuncture also regulates follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, the former of which is responsible for telling the ovaries to release a follicle, and the latter of which enables that follicle to mature properly. 

Acupuncture increases circulation to the ovaries

Have you ever sat in one position for too long and had your foot go to sleep? When you stand up again, you may have a difficult time walking or wiggling your toes for a few minutes because the lack of circulation prevents you from using your foot the way you normally would. Good blood flow is critical for any part of the body to function correctly, and it’s no different for the reproductive system. One area of the body that is often overlooked in ovulation is pelvic floor health and blood flow to the uterus and ovaries.

One of the reasons why women may not ovulate is simply because their ovaries aren’t getting the blood they need to do so. With acupuncture, we can enhance blood flow to the ovaries, which is a major step in supporting ovulation.

Adequate circulation ensures your ovaries have ready access to the blood and oxygen they need to stay healthy. It also delivers hormones to the ovaries, which are essential for follicular development and egg maturation.

And the ovaries aren’t the only ones to benefit from better circulation. Good blood flow also supports uterine health, increasing the thickness of the endometrium, and making the uterus more receptive to implantation. With benefits like this, it’s no wonder more and more women are utilizing acupuncture for their IVF embryo transfers.

Acupuncture can increase ovarian reserve

Although the subject is still up for debate, it’s currently believed that women are born with a finite number of eggs. So acupuncture may or may not be able to induce your ovaries to produce more of them. However, what research indicates acupuncture can do is increase ovarian reserve quality by supporting egg quality, ensuring egg follicles mature properly, resulting in more viable oocytes.

Acupuncture has been shown to increase ovarian reserve by helping women produce more mature eggs. This is one of the reasons acupuncture is a wonderful complementary therapy for women scheduled to undergo egg retrieval for IVF. The more viable eggs your fertility specialist has, the better their chances of producing good embryos. This can improve your IVF success rate later on.

It’s also worth noting that acupuncture is safe to use in tandem with medications used to induce ovulation. Acupuncture is adaptogenic, and a non-drug that can be used to support more conventional treatment methods. Many of our clients have used acupuncture alongside hormone injections designed to induce ovulation with great success. 

Other therapies can be used to support ovulation, too!

There are so many reasons to use acupuncture if you’re having anovulatory cycles(periods with no ovulation) But when it comes to enhancing your fertility naturally, other therapies can be used to great effect as well. At Integrative Healing Arts, we may utilize a variety of holistic treatments to help our clients boost their fertility.

In addition to acupuncture, certain herbs can be used to support ovulation. Some herbs work by improving circulation to the reproductive organs, while others influence the HPA axis and promote hormonal health. At Integrative Healing Arts, we can help you determine which Traditional Chinese Herbs will help you the most (Note: Do not use herbs without the guidance of a professional herbalist).

Because stress levels can be so damaging to fertility, it’s worth making stress management a priority. Understanding what is contributing to your stress levels, and taking steps to keep these stressors in check, can further support your fertility and encourage ovulation.

If you’re not sure which of these therapies your body needs, that’s okay, just leave it to us. We’ve created countless customized treatment protocols to help our clients support ovarian health and achieve ovulation. We have the knowledge and expertise to help you, too. 

Get in touch with us today

If you know you aren’t ovulating, or if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while with no success and you need some help figuring out why, contact us today to learn more. Our friendly staff will help you schedule an appointment as you take the first steps toward achieving better fertility.

At Integrative Healing Arts, we understand that fertility is a multifaceted issue. We also understand that every woman is an individual and should be treated as such. With 21+ years of experience, we can help you get to the root of your ovulation issues so you can finally overcome them and fulfill your health and wellness goals.