Can acupuncture be used to treat infertility?

Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine, has been used for centuries to treat some causes of infertility. For example, acupuncture and herbs will not work to address tubal adhesions which can occur as a result of pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. However, in this situation, an individual could still benefit from acupuncture and herbs because of the potential effect of improved ovarian and follicular function. Additionally, it is shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.

When should acupuncture treatment begin?

Acupuncture is similar to physical therapy in that it is a process oriented method of medical intervention. It is better to do more than less. Patients are commonly treated for three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. This period of treatment seems to have a therapeutic effect.

In a study by Stener-Victorin et al from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Centre, Scandinavia and University of Gothenburg, women are encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer. Clinical observations from the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions. However, conception does sometimes occur when acupuncture and herbal medicines are used without traditional medical interventions.

What are the risks of using acupuncture?

There are minimal risks when using acupuncture for fertility treatment. A risk of miscarriage may develop if incorrect acupuncture points are used when a woman is pregnant. This is one reason why those wishing to include acupuncture in their treatment regimen should only be treated by an acupuncturist who specializes in treating fertility disorders. Acupuncture is not contraindicated for anyone regardless of their pathology or what medications they are taking.

What types of fertility patients typically get acupuncture?

Acupuncture can be used to treat any type of fertility disorder including spasmed tubes. (Spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture, though blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture). Acupuncture is often combined with herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.

Behandling af barnløshed med akupunktur

Kursus med Qunhui Mao og Hanne Udengaard

Målsætning: at gøre den praktiserende akupunktør i stand til at indgå i den konventionelle barnløshedsbehandling, samt til at kunne behandle de tilstande, der hæmmer evnen til at blive gravid.

Underviserne:

Qunhui Mao

– akupunktør, foredragsholder og tidl. ass. professor v. Beijing University of TCM, Kina

Qunhui Mao virkede i en årrække som associate professor ved Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine med gynækologi som speciale. Hun har været supervisor i videnskabelige studier af akupunkturs virkning i forbindelse med IVF (reagensglas-befrugtning).

Hun er en af de få i Danmark som har en 8-årigt universitetsuddannelse indenfor både kinesisk medicin og konventionel medicin og har 20 års erfaring i akupunkturpraksis.

I de sidste 8 år har hun behandlet mange barnløse klienter med stor succes. Tilsammen udgør disse behandlinger ca. 90 % af hendes daglige praksis. I Danmark har hun 5 gange tidligere afholdt kurser over emnet "Akupunktur og Barnløshed" med gode tilbagemeldinger.

Da der har været en del efterspørgsel på nye kurser, vil Qunhui afholde kurset på ny i en opdateret version.

Hanne Udengaard

– forskningssygeplejerske på Herlev Sygehus’ fertilitetsklinik

Uddannet som sygeplejerske i 1980. De sidste 17 år har hun været ansat i Fertilitetsklinikken på Herlev Sygehus. Her har hun været forskningssygeplejerske de sidste 9 år. Hun har en bred viden indenfor fertilitetsområdet og bruger en del af sin tid på at undervise patienter og kolleger.

Hanne Udengaard leverer en solid, grundlæggende indføring i vestlige, medicinske fremgangsmåder og terminologi i forbindelse med fertilitetsbehandling i det etablerede system.

Emnerne for kurset vil være:

Akupunktur:

- Akupunktur ifbm kunstig befrugtning og naturlig graviditet

- Anvendelsen af elektro-akupunktur i behandlingen af barnløshed

- Behandling af PCOS

- Behandling af endometriose

Fysiologi/patologi:

- Den endokrine regulering af reproduktionssystemet – kvindens
fertilitet.

- Hormonpræparater og deres anvendelse ved barnløshedsbehandling

- PCOS

Tid: 2010: 20/3 kl. 9:30 – 17:30 og 21/3 9:00 – 16:00

Sted: Tårnstudiet, Vesterbrogade 40, 5. t.v., København V. Om Tårnstudiet: Tårnstudiet er et gammelt teaterstudie nær Det Ny Teater med en helt speciel atmosfære.

Fuld forplejningen.

Pris: 3000,00 kr. pr. deltager.

Tilmelding via e-mail: info@mao.dk

Betalingsbetingelser: depositum 500,00 ved tilmelding, restbeløb senest d. 1. marts 2010.

Kontonummer: reg.nr. 3106 kontonr. 4280129399 (Danske Bank)

Kontaktperson: Qunhui Mao og Morten Prins. Tlf. 33 26 33 08 og 22 63 80 15

Polycystic Ovary Disease/Syndrome

seems to be cropping up more and more. It seems every one female clients having fertility issues have all been diagnosed with PCOS and the medications they are prescribing to aid it are less than friendly. Noe the University of Virginia is announcing a call for volunteers for a study to test the effectiveness of acupuncture on this growing disorder. Unfortunately, they are going with sham acupuncture as the control rather than no treatment, or doing a drug versus acupuncture study, but at least it is a beginning. PCOS Polycystic Ovary Disease/Syndrome. From Acupuncture news.