Acupuncture, Valerie L. Lopez, AP. Acupuncture Ft Laud

What Is Infertility?

Infertility is:

The inability of a couple to conceive after 12 consecutive months of unprotected sex during ovulation.
For women under age 35: time is reduced to 6 consecutive months of unprotected sex during ovulation.
The inability to carry a pregnancy to term.

There is primary infertility, which refers to a couple that has never achieved pregnancy and secondary
infertility, where the couple has conceived in the past and now experiences difficulty.

Although often considered a "female problem", studies show that 50% of fertility issues are female and 40% of
fertility issues are male - with the remaining issues related to both partners or of unexplained eitiology.

Some reasons for infertility include:

Premature Ovarian Failure - a decline in egg quality and quantity.
Low sperm count, poor motility, poor morphology, sterility.
Difficulty getting the sperm to the egg - low sperm count, hostile cervical mucus, blocked fallopian tubes.
Sperm not penetrating the egg - thickened corpus luteum, poor sperm morphology.
Menstrual disorders, cervical pathologies, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, tubal blockages.
Sperm DNA Fragmentation - DNA damage from toxic exposure, environmental toxins.
Hormonal disorders, endocrine dysfunctions.
Smoking cigarettes - causes vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow to the circulatory system and negatively
impacting the function of the reproductive organs.
Alcohol and drugs - affects sperm motility and can alter sperm DNA.
Trauma, surgical scarring.
Sexually transmitted diseases.
Stress.

Fertility Statistics:

                 80% of couples will conceive within 12 months of having unprotected sex during ovulation.

                 One in six couples in the United States are affected by fertility issues.

                 By age 35, the chance of becoming pregnant is 50%.
                 After the age of 40, the chance of becoming pregnant is 20%.

                 Assisted Reproductive Therapy (ART):
                 IVF success rate - 29% average (live birth)
                                              Under the age of 35 success rate is 38% (live birth)
                                              Over the age of 40 success rate drops to 8 - 20% (live birth)
                 IVF attempt cost - at least $10,000 per attempt.

                 ART success rates increase with acupuncture and herbal medicine!

How can Acupuncture and Herbs help?

Oriental Medicine (Acupuncture and Herbs) works with nature
to allow conception to happen naturally rather than force it.
The ultimate goal of acupuncture and herbs is to restore balance
to the entire body to allow for the birth of a healthy baby.

The goal is to:

Improve egg quantity and quality.
Lower FSH.
Thicken uterine lining.
Increase estrogen and/or progesterone levels (if needed).
Improve sperm count, motility and morphology.
Reduce stress, anxiety, insomnia and irritability.
Increase pregnancy and live birth rates.

The elements of balance are:

Yin - Estrogen, uterine lining, follicular phase.
Yang - Progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormone, luteal phase.
Qi - Bioelectrical life force which affects all cells and tissue.
Blood - The ovaries and uterus require healthy blood supply for pregnancy.

The methods of obtaining balance are:

Acupuncture - Micro-thin needles are inserted into the skin at bioelectrically

                          active points. These points affect the hypothalamus, which helps balance
                          hormonal activity.
                          Acupuncture is the only documented therapy known to increase blood flow to
                          the uterus and ovaries.
                          Acupuncture has been found to increase the quantity, quality and motility of sperm.

Medridians/Channels - Reproductive activity is related to the Liver, Kidney, Heart and Spleen channels.

The Extraordinary Meridians control the reproductive organs and the HPO
Axis, restoring hormonal balance.

Herbs - Custom prescriptions intended to balance the hormones without side effects.

Relieve stress and anxiety.
Improve the menstrual cycle for healthy pregnancy.

Nutrition, mild-exercise, relaxation.

A Healthy Pregnancy:

Experiencing a regular and pain-free monthly menstrual cycle, maintaining a relaxed and positive state of mind,
eating nutritionally balanced meals, and keeping a healthy lifestyle are the basis for achieving a healthy
pregnancy.

Acupuncture and herbal therapy can address the underlying reasons of infertility in a natural way.
In many cases, treating these underlying reasons can eliminate the need for IUI and/or IVF treatments.
In other cases, it can help to maximize the success of IUI and/or IVF treatments -
an important consideration when spending tens of thousands of dollars on ART procedures!

Although those with sub-clinical infertility may benefit almost immediately from acupuncture and herbal treatment,
most patients will require treatment for a minimum of 3 months in order to maximize the health of developing
follicles or sperm, correct imbalances which prevent pregnancy and prepare their bodies for a healthy pregnancy.
Remember - the goal is not only to get pregnant but to carry a healthy baby to term!

Treatments are provided on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, with customized herbal formulas given to continue
treatment in between visits. Nutritional and supplementation plans are suggested to promote healthy lifestyles and
to support fertility

                                                                        Although the treatment time may seem long, perhaps
                                                                        longer than you may think you have to wait - the positive
                                                                        thing to consider is that by naturally enhancing your
                                                                        ability for a healthy pregnancy you can actually increase
                                                                        your fertility age beyond the national statistics.

                                                                        Whether you decide to pursue a natural solution for your
                                                                        fertility issue or ART (IUI and/or IVF procedures),
                                                                        acupuncture and herbal therapy can help improve your
                                                                        success rate for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby!