When you are trying to conceive, you want to pursue all the avenues possible. There are alternatives that you can try, even if you are working with a Western medical doctor as well. Acupuncture treatment for fertility helps to increase the chance of you becoming pregnant.

There are many different reasons why you may be experiencing infertility. Sometimes it is hormonal in nature, sometimes there is scar tissue getting in the way or, in some cases, it is stress. Whatever the cause of your infertility, something is keeping your body from being in the proper state to get pregnant.

Acupuncture works by helping your body return to a balanced state. Because of this, it helps regardless of the reason or reasons behind your infertility. When you are in your natural balance, fertility and, therefore, pregnancy, are more likely.

Acupuncturists receive training in Western medicine in addition to traditional Chinese medicine. There are acupuncturists who specialize in fertility and are particularly knowledgeable about the female cycle and how in can become disrupted. Treatment plans are often used that change depending on the part of the cycle the patient is in. This combines both modern medical and Chinese theory to achieve the best results possible.

Acupuncture is particularly useful in dealing with the effects of stress. By using acupuncture, even if you also get infertility treatments, you help to ensure that your body is in the most receptive state possible. For example, it is often used to great advantage with IVF treatments.

Chinese herbal therapy is often used by acupuncturists to help achieve balance in the body of the patient. They are often to help to regulate the hormones in particular. Women with infertility problems often have periods that are irregular. This is often because the hormones are not in their proper balance.

In these situations, the first goal of your treatments will be to get your periods regular. Once this happens, and the hormones are properly balanced, you may find pregnancy much easier to achieve. At the very least, you will feel healthier as a result.

Acupuncturists ask many questions about your situation in particular. These questions often do not seem related in the slightest to your problems with infertility. However acupuncture is a medicine that is holistic. Therefore, your acupuncturist must get a complete picture of your health in the past and in the present. Treatments can be better tailored for you in particular when your acupuncturist understands the functioning of your individual body.

You should be prepared to see your acupuncturist on a regular basis. To achieve your goals, continual treatments will need to be set up. The treatment plan suggested will probably include weekly, if not more frequent, visits.

Once you do achieve pregnancy, continuing to see your acupuncturist will help to make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy. The first trimester is the most critical time as this is when miscarriages are more likely. Regular acupuncture treatments can help you to maintain your pregnancy.

Fertility acupuncture is one of the alternative medicine therapies that you can receive from practitioners. The procedures and methods are relatively painless and offer a positive success record.

Presenters at the recent Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting , held in Chicago, IL, unveiled findings that show that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for depression during pregnancy.

“Depression during pregnancy is an issue of concern because it has negative effects on the mother and the baby as well as the rest of the family,” said Dr. Schnyer, one of the study’s authors.

While the pregnant women share similar depression rates, compared to similarly aged non pregnant women and mothers during the postpartum (after birth), her are fewer treatment studies of depression during pregnancy.

Anti-depressant treatment during pregnancy can affect the developing baby and mothers as well.

150 participants with Major Depressive Disorder were randomly placed in a either a group that received acupuncture specific treatment for depression, or one of two active controls: control acupuncture (they didn’t receive acupuncture specific treatment, but another form of acupuncture) or massage.

During 2 months, the women received 12 sessions. Junior acupuncturists unaware of the treatment group assignment needled the participants at point prescribed by senior acupuncturists. The mother’s depression symptoms were evaluated at the beginning, after four and eight weeks of treatment.

The women receiving acupuncture specific treatment for depression experienced a significantly greater decline in the severity of depression compared to both control groups or the non-specific acupuncture group alone. They also had a higher response rate (63%) than the combined controls or control acupuncture alone. The reduction of symptoms and response rates between the control groups did not differ significantly.

Forty three of the 150 participants reported mild and brief side effects (20 in the depression specific acupuncture group, 19 in the non-specific acupuncture group and 4 in the massage group). Notably fewer participants reported side effects in the massage group than in the two acupuncture groups.

Dr. Schyner said, “The results of our study show that the acupuncture protocol we tested could be a viable treatment option for depression during pregnancy.

Want to find out more about acupuncture , then visit Elaine R. Ferguson, MD’s site on how to choose the best holistic health information for your needs.