Any women do not welcome the unhappiness and the sense of loss experienced by the infertility issues. This period of infertility drives them to seek many other treatment options to overcome infertility. From fertility drugs, surgery to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), donor eggs, and even embryos and some modern medical healthcare treatments has vastly expanded the options for couples to conceive. A study has said that: About 35 percent of couples go through infertility among which Female: 12 percent aging from 15-44 Male: Only 8 percent But, not all can afford the cost of these expensive medical treatments. So, some people choose traditional and complementary treatments, such as acupuncture to help with fertility issues.
Know about Acupuncture and the Acupuncturist!!
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine which is used by some people to balance a variety of fertility conditions. An acupuncturist inserts small needles into specific points of a body to stimulate blood flow to that area.
Providing a helping hand!!
The proponents of acupuncture can help by:
- Boosting blood flow to reproductive organs
- Balancing hormones
- Relieving stress
But the main query comes, does acupuncture help in increasing fertility!!
Few kinds of research have been done...
In 2017: There was not much evidence to support infertility using acupuncture in females.
In 2016: The scientists did not come to any conclusions when using acupuncture method in males.
In 2018: The effects of acupuncture when got compared with sham acupuncture have worked on live births among women undergoing IVF.
Percentage of occurrence!!
With Acupuncture: 18.3 percent of women With Sham Acupuncture: 17.8 percent of women
The conclusion of the researchers!!
The difference was negligible and that acupuncture does not affect live birth rates at the time of follicle stimulation or the embryo transfer. Hence the study done upon over 800 women, did not give a good result of the use of acupuncture as a therapy for increasing fertility. Well! Even after adequately doing the method, there are some side effects or risks too! The first includes that the acupuncturist might push the needle too far resulting in an injury or a punctured lung. While other risks include:
- Bleeding or bruising at the needle sites
- Infection from the unsterilized needles
- Excessive bleeding
So it is not entirely enough to rely on acupuncture as there is among the best IVF center in Siliguri which provides better fertility treatments. This gives the couples a new hope of a life of gaining fertility all over again. But need not to worry!! To eradicate the risk factors some safety tips have been mentioned.
According to few organizations acupuncture is safe when:
- Practitioners use sterile and proper equipment
- The needles must be non-toxic and labeled only for single use, and
- A practitioner must have a proper training and license
Yes, it does...
Many doctors believe that acupuncture is safe. However, if your brain thinks it is going to work, then it will. Moreover, until you have the help of a trained professional there is no harm in practicing acupuncture.