The Good Health Guide

by local acupuncturist, Nicky Smith MSc, BSc AACP

Nowadays many women wait until their late 30s to start a family. Unfortunately this age group is experiencing an increase in abnormal hormonal imbalances which can make it difficult to conceive.

The Western medical approach, using drugs and various uterine procedures to stimulate egg production & increase the chance of implantation and fertilisation, can be extremely stressful & tiring, and may give rise to side effects such as mood swings and other health problems. In addition, the percentage of women who successfully conceive using IVF is small.
However, a recent medical randomised controlled trial investigated the effect of acupuncture on women receiving IVF. They found that the acupuncture + IVF group produced 43% clinical pregnancies whereas the IVF only group had 26%.

Acupuncture has been practised in China for over 2000 years, being the main form of treatment for health problems. The stimulated meridian points facilitate the flow of energy thereby enabling the body to function optimally. It can normalise many body systems, and research now supports the use of acupuncture for women’s health problems, particularly infertility.

If you would like to talk to Nicki about using acupuncture for infertility or other health problems, you can call her on 07968 112535.