Acupuncture, Infertility, Fertility & Preconception Care
Ruth Chappell Lic.Ac M.B.Ac.C.
Ruth Chappell was for many years a practicing Registered Nurse and Health Visitor, she has been practicing acupuncture for over 20 years and is a member of The British Acupuncture Council. She is one of Scotlands most experienced acupuncturists in the field of fertility treatment.
Ruth will also use acupuncture to support clients having infertility treatment at The Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicne ( GCRM ), Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the \Nuffield Hospital.
A recent German study found that using acupuncture with IVF treatments achieved a 42% clinical pregnancy rate in the test group, compared to only 26% in the control group who were not given acupuncture. This success rate has been demonstrated to increase to 60% when both acupuncture and herbs were given with IVF. IT was also found that when acupuncture and herbs were used throughout the pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage was signicantly reduced. It was also observed that women who had received IVF unsuccessfully on a number of occasions, soon became pregnant under an acupuncture regime.
In clinical observation ultrasound has shown that after acupuncture, women's ovaries change from cloudy to clear and bright. It was also seen that follicles doubled in number, the lining of the uterus became thicker and there was a marked increase in the number of embryos. It has also been observed that while many women have problems from the side effects of the conventional medical drugs used in IVF treatment, acupuncture may help to prevent side effects. Acupuncture may also have benefits for men with fertility problems, with possibly improving both semen quality and sperm count.
Acupuncture may help the success rate in becoming pregnant in the following ways:
- It may help to regulates the hormones to produce more follicles.
- It may improve ovary function to produce better eggs.
- It may increases the flow of blood to the uterus & increases the thickness of the uterus lining.
- It may prevent the uterus from contracting.
- It possibly relaxes the patient & lessens their stress factor.
- It may lessen the side effect of drugs used in IVF.
- It may create better semen to improve the quality & quantity of embryos.
- Used throughout a pregnancy acupuncture may minimise the likelihood of miscarriages.
Other treatments are often used in conjunction with acupuncture such as massage, lymphatic drainage, nutritional and dietary advice. We also have a counselling and hypnotherapy service to support our clients.
Homoeopathy & Infertility
Homoeopathy has 200 years experience of treating infertility in men and women and may he used as a primary approach to infertility, or in conjunction with acupuncture and IVF treatment. A recent Australian study has shown that when homoeopathy was used with 54 women with infertility problems, either on its own or in tandem with IVF, 54 live birth followed.
Conception without IVF Treatment
While having been a godsend for a huge number of women, IVF treatment can be both traumatic and physically and emotionally stressful. Although a great boon, IVF treatment often entails using very powerful orthodox medical drugs and some of these drugs will most likely have long term health implications on the women who use them. IVF treatment is still a relatively new medical science and one whose long term effects are unknown, so if we can bring about conception naturally or with safe natural medicines, that has to be the route of choice.
At the CMC we see many women become pregnant through the combined use of IVF, and acupuncture. A significant number of our infertility patients may use acupuncture only as their choice of support.