Fertility Treatment at The Helix Clinic
At The Helix Clinic, we treat many women and couples who are at different stages on the path to pregnancy and birth. We are confident that we can offer you the best possible care, no matter what stage you may be at. Acupuncture has been used as a treatment for infertility in China for thousands of years, and recent research has shown that it can be a very effective adjunct to more modern Western treatments for infertility such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation), IUI and ICSI.
Of course, it takes two people to make a baby, so it is important that infertility is viewed as a joint condition. 40-50% of infertility cases have a sperm defect as the main or contributing cause. Chinese medicine is able to treat both female and male infertility.
Many recognised conditions can contribute to or cause infertility. Some of the more common ones that acupuncture can help with are PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), Uterine Polyps or Fibroids and Endometriosis.
Tests of 'ovarian reserve' such as the day 3 FSH test can give an indication of how many good quality eggs a woman has in her ovaries, and often fertility clinics require that a woman's FSH levels are below a certain level. In our clinic, we have successfully used acupuncture to treat and subsequently reduce high FSH levels.
In general, the traditional Chinese approach to female fertility starts by looking at a woman's menstrual cycle and attempting to regulate it. The range of symptoms that a woman experiences at different times of the month, and the variations in the basal body temperature (BBT) give us vital clues as to the state of a woman's kidney yin and yang energy as well as any stagnation of qi or blood. The pattern of symptoms and temperature will be different for every woman, so the treatment that you will receive will be focused and targeted to your exact needs for that time of the month.
The aim of treatment is to clear any stagnation of qi and blood, and create an abundance of kidney yin and yang energy that is vital for good fertility. As this begins to happen you will experience changes such as a reduction in period pain and improved period regularity. You may feel more energetic and relaxed overall. This will simply be a reflection of the internal changes brought about by the acupuncture, and you will feel good knowing that the better you feel, the better your fertility will be.
Acupuncture for IVF
If you are already undergoing conventional treatment for fertility, our treatment can be viewed as truly complementary. We embrace an integrated approach to health and medicine, and will do whatever we can to help support your ongoing treatments. As well as enhancing fertility itself, acupuncture can be very helpful in reducing any unwanted side-effects of conventional medication, as well as giving your energy a boost. It is also great for calming any troubled emotions, worries or anxiety.
Ideally your acupuncture treatment would begin a few months prior to your IVF treatment. We would work with you to improve and regulate your menstrual cycle, nourish the uterus and endometrium and attempt to increase the quality of the eggs. Closer to the IVF date, we would further nourish the uterus and ovaries so that more good quality follicles can be extracted.
In the study described below, it was found that the chances of pregnancy were increased if acupuncture treatment was given just prior to and then just after the IVF treatment itself. The treatment just before helps to invigorate the blood flow to the pelvic region to increase receptiveness to the embryo. The treatment after helps to stabilise the body and help to keep the embryo safe. It also helps to calm and relax the uterus so that the egg is not rejected.
