Submitted by: Cindi Sciavillo
Acupuncture for infertility is probably the most popular alternative therapy for women trying to get pregnant. The media appears to report on research with respect to acupuncture and fertility every few months, and more and more fertility clinics offer or advised acupuncture treatment along with conventional fertility therapies like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI). While IVF stands for in vitro fertilization, which literally means “in lab conception”, IUI means artificial insemination for women who are infertile.
Acupuncture is a part of traditional Chinese medicine, frequently a
eviated as TCM. Acupuncture involves inserting very thin needles into particular points on the body. The points, based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine, run along the channels of energy, or meridians. From the TCM theory, an imbalance or blockage of these energy channels in the body can lead to illness, such as infertility. Eliminate the blockage by stimulating specific points along the energy channels is thought to improve health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a consensus statement indicating that “There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine”
Given all the hype over acupuncture and infertility, you might think that the gains from acupuncture treatment have been well documented. However, that’s not exactly the case. Some scientific investigation have shown improved pregnancy rates for women trying acupuncture, while other studies have shown no or non-statistically significant results. Researchers on both sides of the issue are in agreement that acupuncture therapy is generally harmless, and just about everyone concurs it enhances relaxation, lowers stress levels, and increases beta-endorphins – the feel good, pain-busting hormones.
If acupuncture can’t do any harm, why invest so much time and money into the research associated with the issue? Why not sending everyone wanting to be pregnant for acupuncture therapy? Well, if acupuncture actually can improve pregnancy rates, then acupuncture therapy should be included as a matter of protocol when dealing infertility. Physicians should encourage patients to see an acupuncturist for treatments, and insurance companies should also be willing to cover some of the bill.
While not cheap, acupuncture is definitely a lot less expensive than many infertility treatments. If acupuncture could assist women get pregnant, at the same time spending less money, less time, and risking less side effects, then of course acupuncture should be moved out from the “alternative” realm and into the mainstream medicine. On the other hand, if acupuncture cannot be proved to improve fertility rates, then the practice shouldn’t be automatically incorporated into Western medicine’s approach to infertility.
Acupuncture is not the only method to achieve relaxation. While doctors should assist their patients when it comes to stress reduction, promoting acupuncture over other methods would be uncalled for. Meditation, Yoga, and other basic relaxation training technique can also help those with infertility cope with stress, and for much less cost than acupuncture treatments. When a fertility physician, or any doctor for that matter, recommends a procedure, the patient believes the recommendation is backed up by scientific research. Before advocating acupuncture to patients, physicians want to be sure that they are recommending a treatment that can really help, but not just provide a false sense of hope.
About the Author: Gale Benz is an alternative health commentator and blogger. She has interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.For more information on this topic, please visit
calgary-acupuncture-clinic.com
.
Source:
isnare.com
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