I have helped patients to conceive and have more than 50 babies over the last five years. Some were only treated with acupuncture and Chinese herb, while some used Traditional Chinese Medicine in conjunction with Western fertility treatments. Acupuncture alone can help infertility patients in certain conditions, but if the patient’s age is older or the FSH level is too high, then it is better to combine acupuncture with Western fertility treatment. Research has shown that acupuncture alone can increase conception rates by 26%. When IUI is combined with acupuncture, 65.5% of patients can get pregnant. However, the control group who did not receive herbal or acupuncture treatment only yielded 39.4% of patients who became pregnant (Tel Aviv University reports). Acupuncture also helps increase the successful rate with people choosing IVF. I have some patients who tried IVF alone, three to five times without success. After I treated them with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, 75% percent of patients got pregnant with their IVFA procedure and another 10% got pregnant with donor eggs.

How can acupuncture help infertility? First, acupuncture can reduce stress. When the patient is under stress, the stress alters the brain’s neurochemical balance, changes hormone levels, and disrupts the pituitary balance. The pituitary is key to the reproductive cycle. Second, acupuncture can increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, meaning acupuncture can improve the egg quality and help the uterus lining. Third, acupuncture can balance the endocrine system through regulating the brain chemical and stimulating the ovaries. Acupuncture infertility treatment produces few or no side effects compared to the same function as drug medication. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs treatment can not only help patients get pregnant but also help patients avoid miscarriages and have a healthy baby.

©Dr. Li Zhang