Any couple who has tried unsuccessfully to conceive a child using natural methods is probably aware that there exists no single treatment which will guarantee pregnancy.
For some women, despite using proven fertility treatments, the best prenatal care, and the latest technologies, pregnancy can still be illusive and medically dangerous.
Attempting to become pregnant can be a uniquely stressful and emotionally trying time.
To relieve this stress, some physicians recommend women use acupuncture and infertility treatments together in a mutually beneficial way.
Acupuncture is an ancient Asian medical practice.
It has been introduced and widely accepted in Western medicine as an alternative treatment for many ailments and conditions.
Tiny needles are painlessly inserted into the skin at various pressure points, and this is said to improve circulation and also reduce stress.
Acupuncture cannot be called a medically proven remedy.
It does, however, seem to help in overcoming infertility when combined with other treatments.
One way it does this is by enhancing the success rate of IVF, or in-vitro fertilization.
The evidence of this success is still largely anecdotal.
For some women, acupuncture treatment shortly before and after attempting in-vitro fertilization can seemingly enhance the successful egg implantation, and decrease the chances of miscarriage.
Others say that weekly acupuncture treatments before, during and after IVF treatments will help make those treatments more successful.
How does it work? One of the standard benefits of non-fertility related acupuncture treatment is increased circulation.
When blood circulation to the ovaries and uterus is enhanced through acupuncture, it may help a woman develop healthier eggs, and also may increase the chances that an egg will be successfully implanted.
Good circulation can help the uterus remain strong and healthy enough to carry a full-term pregnancy successfully.
Another benefit of acupuncture is that it can be a stress reliever.
Acupuncture proponents explain that a balanced flow of energy throughout the body is necessary, and that when that balance is disturbed or interrupted, health will suffer.
Acupuncture has been compared to physical therapy, and in some cases doing more works better than less.
Patients are commonly treated with acupuncture for three to four months before an insemination attempt, in-vitro fertilization, or donor-egg transfer.
This length of treatment seems to have a therapeutic effect.
There are other explanations why acupuncture combines so well with traditional fertility treatments.
Acupuncture needle treatments may cause positive changes in the body's nervous system.
Those changes alter body temperature, and can also affect blood flow and pressure in a beneficial way.
Some acupuncturists say that these needles stimulate the nervous system, and will enhance the body's natural healing processes.
Chronic pain reduction can be another benefit, because acupuncture is said to cause the release of endorphins, part of the body's naturally occurring pain control system.
Exactly how and why acupuncture helps in the treatment for infertility problems is still medically debatable.
However, most practicing, licensed acupuncturists explain that their treatments help by regulating the entire physical system, which in turns enhances system blood flow.
Practitioners say it also aids balanced hormonal output, which may result in better ovary function in women, and may increase healthy sperm production in men.
The fact remains that acupuncture, when used in conjunction with standard fertility therapy, is a mostly painless procedure with few side effect, and can reduce stress.
Acupuncture and infertility treatments in combination can help make the probability of successful pregnancy greater, and that certainly is the overall goal.