Treating infertility with acupuncture
by Nanci Bompey
published April 3, 2007 in the Asheville Citizen-Times

ASHEVILLE — Kristen Smith and her husband, Luke, have been trying to have a baby for more than four years. After rounds of hormone shots, unsuccessful infertility treatments and a miscarriage, the couple decided to try acupuncture.

"We're just taking a break from traditional medicine, and we're going to go with acupuncture," Smith said. "We've basically tried everything we can, so there's nothing to lose at this point."

The 28-year-old Haywood County resident is one of a growing number of women who are looking to acupuncture to help in becoming pregnant.

While the technique has been used in China for thousands of years, it has only recently begun to catch on in the West.

"Women just don't really know it's an option yet," said Asheville acupuncturist James Whittle.

Infertility affects more than 6 million women and their partners in the United States, or about 10 percent of the reproductive-age population, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

While most infertility cases, 85 percent to 90 percent, are treated with conventional therapies like medicine or surgery, some women are also starting to turn to acupuncture either alone or in conjunction with Western therapies.

Smith's acupuncturist, Nicole Jurkovic Peterson, L.Ac., said in the three years since she opened her practice in Asheville, about 30 percent to 40 percent of her clients have been women with infertility problems.

"People are wanting answers and a different way of looking at infertility that hasn't been explored enough," Peterson said.

A holistic approach
Both Peterson and Whittle subscribe to the practices of Chinese medicine, which takes a holistic approach to diagnosing and treating patients.

Traditional Chinese medicine sees the body as a balance of two opposing forces: yin, or cold, and yang, or hot. Health is achieved through the maintenance of a balance of yin and yang, which practitioners balance through a patient's diet, lifestyle, nutritional and herbal supplements, and acupuncture treatments.

During treatments, an acupuncturist uses a small, metallic needle on a series of acupuncture points that connect channels of energy in the body. The needles are used to regulate the flow of qi, or vital energy, through the body. A blockage of qi leads to an imbalance of yin and yang.

For women dealing with infertility, the process helps to balance their hormones, increase blood flow to the uterus, boost the immune system and relieve stress, all helping their body to conceive, Peterson said.

"I was a little bit skeptical at first because we've been through so many treatments before," Smith said. "After seeing the results, I feel like we're on the right track."

Smith said while she isn't pregnant yet, the acupuncture treatments and herbal supplements have given her more energy, helped to regulate her menstrual cycles, alleviated pain in her neck and helped her to feel more relaxed.

Rebecca Piersma had been trying to have a baby for nine months when she started acupuncture treatments with Peterson last fall. She is now three months pregnant.

"I feel like it is a really positive thing because it takes into account everything going on in your life," said the 25-year-old Fairview woman. "I realized I had to give my body time." .

Multiple benefits
Peterson said she has about a 65 percent success rate in treating women with infertility.

"I tell people give me six months, and if you're not pregnant by then, go to Western therapy," she said. "If nothing else, you're going to feel really good, and your body's going to be much more ready for Western therapy."

Some studies suggest that acupuncture may help increase the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization, but the reason behind its effectiveness is still under investigation.

James Holman, an infertility specialist at the Center for Applied Reproductive Science in Asheville, said a lot of his patients undergo acupuncture along with their infertility treatments. While he is not sure to what extent it helps women to conceive, he does not discourage them.

"This is stressful, there's just no question," he said of infertility. "Acupuncture and some relaxation therapies can help you cope with it."

Smith agreed the infertility treatments have put a strain on her body, and trying to conceive has been a source of stress in her life. The soothing music and aromatherapy used in acupuncture, and Jurkovic's support, have helped her to relieve stress, which is good for her whether or not she becomes pregnant, she said.

"My husband and I just really needed a break."

Smith said she is committed to trying acupuncture for six months but will go back to in vitro fertilization if the treatments are not successful on their own.

"I'm just not ready to give up yet," Smith said.

Facts about acupuncture and Chinese medicine:
Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000 years ago.

An estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults have used acupuncture and about 2.1 million U.S. adults have had acupuncture treatments in the previous year.

Acupuncture is the key component of traditional Chinese medicine, which sees the body as a balance of two opposing forces: yin (cold) and yang (hot). Health is achieved through the maintenance of a balance of yin and yang.

An imbalance of yin and yang leads to blockage of the flow of qi (pronounced ch-ee), or vital energy, along 12 main meridians of the body.

More than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect the meridians.

During treatments, an acupuncturist uses a small, metallic needle on these points to regulate the flow of qi in the body.

Acupuncture treatments range in price from $100 - $130 for the first visit to $70 - $75 for follow-up visits.

Source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Blue Ridge Acupuncture Clinic and Ling Dao Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. .

Facts about infertility:
Infertility affects about 6.1 million women and their partners in the United States – about 10 percent of the reproductive-age population.

Most infertility cases – 85 percent to 90 percent – can be treated with conventional medical therapies such as medication or surgery.

Infertility affects both men and women in equal proportions. For 20 percent of couples, the cause of infertility is unexplained.

The most common male infertility factors include azoospermia, where no sperm cells are produced, and oligospermia, where few sperm cells are produced.

Ovulation disorder is the most common reason for female infertility. Other causes of infertility in women include blocked fallopian tubes, which can occur when a woman has had a pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis, a condition that causes adhesions or cysts.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a technique where eggs are surgically removed from the ovary and mixed with sperm outside the body. The fertilized embryo is then implanted into the woman's uterus.

IVF accounts for less than 5 percent of all infertility treatments in the United States.

For women younger than 37 years old, one cycle of IVF results in a pregnancy about 40 percent of the time.

One cycle of IVF costs about $11,000.

Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Applied Reproductive Science.

Healing Potential of Water:
Five Element Acupuncture
Nicole Jurkovic Peterson, L.Ac.

Sitting quietly near a rushing stream amidst the beauty of the trees, my thoughts drift to ancient times when people came to rivers to drink, bathe, heal, give thanks and pray to the life-giving water from whence all creation came. The miracle of water evoked wonder and a spiritual connection with the natural world that is largely forgotten in this day and time. To have a living relationship with the water element requires that we slow down in our busy lives to appreciate and observe its many marvels. How easy it is to drink a glass of water, take a shower or shield ourselves from the rain without honoring its sacred gifts. In remembering to be conscious of water’s import in our lives, we begin to feel a deeper connection with nature and the wisdom of our ancestors who knew intimate oneness with this most vital of elements.

The Ocean, Rain, Rivers, Glaciers: The Ever-Changing Power of Water
The ruling element of winter is water in the Chinese tradition. Water is an essential part of life and more than ninety percent of our bodies are made of water. Symbolically and literally, water claims many of the most powerful images in the world: the womb, the ocean, the moon, tears, lakes, rivers, ice. It is also known to represent healing, wisdom and emotion. The essence of water is that its shape and form are determined by that which holds it; it can become gas, liquid or solid. Water is life and without it many living things cannot survive. Harnessing the power of water allows each of us to slowly change the hardest obstacles in our lives with the consistent pressure of what the Daoists refer to as the softest element.

Five Element Acupuncture
In Daoist Chinese philosophy, there are five essential forces that not only influence the natural world but also our bodies, hearts and minds. These forces are earth, metal, fire, wood and water. Because they believed humans to be one with nature, ancient Chinese philosophers considered these forces to be an integral part of our own physical makeup. In Five Element acupuncture, health and overall well-being are evaluated by observing a patient’s subtle facial coloring, sound of the voice, scent and emotional tendencies. Each element embodies a different set of characteristics in humans, which makes these core features fundamental to constitutional diagnosis. The predominant element called the “Constitutional Factor” then becomes the sole focus of treatment in order to create mental, emotional and physical healing.

The Constitutional Factor of Water
For a person whose “Constitutional Factor” is water, the coloring around the mouth and temples has a blue quality, the voice resembles a rumbling or trembling sound and the lower back may have a swampy or sweaty scent, similar to stagnant water pools. These individuals tend to experience issues of fear, especially of the unknown, the future and survival. This fear can draw them inward causing them to freeze or to act irrationally and out of control. Simultaneously, if the fear generated by water is conquered and contained, the inevitable outcome is wisdom. This wisdom teaches us to trust our own intuition and to cleverly distribute and use resources. Water provides a gateway into the inner self and truths we hold deep inside.

Beware of the Cold
People influenced by water can be introspective, fluid, independent, wise and compassionate; however, they can also be hidden, lost, exaggerated, deadened or frozen. As water becomes colder, it begins to take a more solid shape and turns into ice. When water becomes frozen it can increase stability and focus. Just as a glacier moves steadily across land, covering it in a white blanket, the frozen state of water can grant us tremendous power. However, if one allows fear to control the situation, frozen water can become stuck and resistant to change. Water in its icy state can inhibit, leave a feeling of emotional emptiness and cause an individual to forget the big picture. Water must also be balanced by the other forces in nature. Water requires the solidity and connectedness of earth, the passion and creativity of fire, wood’s awakening of activity and metal’s structure and constitution.

Water’s Influence on the Body
In Chinese medicine, the kidneys and the bladder are the organ systems that represent the water element. According to David Ford, L.Ac., “The kidneys are the creeks, mountain streams and rivers of our being. They give us our ability to be like a young person: flexible and fluid in body, mind and spirit.” The water element as represented by the kidneys teaches that in order to build reserves of our greatest potential, we must learn to strengthen these reserves through wise investment. The bladder represents the oceanic energy of water that connects us to the origin of existence, to stillness and reflection. Just as large bodies of water can become as mirrors, the bladder symbolizes one’s ability to meditate and contemplate. The bladder is a reservoir; it teaches us to discern if we have enough resources and helps to remind us of our own divinity while asking us to enjoy the silence.

Acupressure and Movement: Getting in Touch with Your Body
Regardless of an individual’s constitutional factor, an imbalance associated with the water element is indicated by various physical signals. Adrenal exhaustion, general fatigue, hearing loss, premature aging, bone problems, urinary problems, infertility, memory difficulties, back pain and knee weakness all point to disruption of water energy. Acupressure and meditative movement can be used as tools for understanding and balancing the water element. Acupressure point Bladder-52 (located on the lower back) called the “Room of Will” or the “Palace of Essence” activates the will to live, move through obstacles and appropriately store energy. Point Kidney-3 (located on the inside of the ankle), named “Greater Mountain Stream,” helps release self-defeat, promotes playfulness and empowers stillness and stability in order to conquer fear and preserve resources. Movement and mediation, such as yoga and qigong, can also be used to bring the water element back into a healthy balance. Regular exercise is essential for the circulation of moisture and warmth in the body as well as flexibility in the joints and spine.

Understanding elemental imbalances within the body is essential to achieving optimal health. Just as snowflakes are complex and distinctive, human beings each have a unique emotional and physical system that must be maintained through customized care practices. In Five Element Acupuncture, a practitioner observes the specific habits, patterns and behaviors of an individual in order to find a course of treatment that will bring harmony to the mind, body and spirit. This internal and external harmony increases quality of life on all levels. Through the study of nature, its cycles and basic foundation, every person can experience wholeness and live life to its absolute fullest.
New Life Journal Dec/Jan'07

To access the Chinese Medicine articles,
click on the linked titles below:

Acupuncture and Pregnancy

Alternative Medicine: Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Infertility

Chinese Medicine and Assisted Reproductive Technology for the Modern Couple

Chinese Medicine and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Acupuncture and Menopause


Acupuncture for Arthritis

Treating Peripheral Neuropathy with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Oriental Medicine Lays Insomnia to Rest

Acupuncture and Back Pain

Gastrointestinal Disorders in Chinese Medicine

Treating Allergies with Acupuncture

Acupuncture Treats Headaches and Migraines