Heather Bartell is an acupuncturist with at RCA with over 10 years of experience. She has done additional training in the areas of pain management and Fertility treatment.
Pregnancy is one of the most exciting and profound experiences in a woman’s life. Having a child is a life-defining and life-altering choice that many women do not want to miss out on. It is easy to understand, therefore, the intense level of frustration, despair and disappointment a couple feels when fertility becomes a problem. Month after month of failed attempts can take a tremendous toll on a woman’s emotional and physical well-being.
Regular acupuncture treatments can work wonders to alleviate stressors on both mind and body. Through evolution, our bodies have learned that during times of great stress it is not beneficial for conception to take place. No doubt this was a wise acquisition of knowledge during the days of the wooly mammoth and constant warfare. In our modern times, however, when a ride on any highway can send our adrenalin and cortisol into overdrive, this phenomena has many setbacks.
Very few practices can calm the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems as effectively and rapidly as acupuncture can. I have seen women conceive after receiving acupuncture treatments which focussed on relaxation alone. Being able to effectively manage stress and anxiety is extremely important in the realm of fertility.
When infertility is a result of more complicated circumstances, such as hormonal or structural, acupuncture can still play a vital role in achieving success. For example, acupuncture can help regulate menstrual cycles, affect egg quality, and enhance the uterine lining. When used in conjunction with Western treatments such as IVF and in vitro, a couple’s chance of success is greatly increased.