Toluca Lake & Burbank, CA Areas
Aquino Acupuncture & Holistic Health provides acupuncture services to those undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), such as IUI and IVF. We are conveniently located in Los Angeles, close to Burbank, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Hollywood Hills, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, and surrounding areas. Often intrauterine insemination is the next step for individuals who have not been able to conceive on their own. This procedure can feel overwhelming, but acupuncture combined with IUI can improve IUI success rate, and the right practitioner can help make the process less daunting. Unfortunately, infertility is becoming more and more common for several reasons, as we share below.
Causes of Infertility
Infertility affects both women and men, while the causes may be different. In women, difficulty conceiving can be from the following:
- Damage to the fallopian tubes due to pelvic infections or past surgery
- Poor ovarian reserve
- Hormonal imbalance or disorder
- Diabetes
- Stress
- Overexposure to radiation, alcohol, tobacco smoke, marijuana, or other toxins/chemicals
- Nutritional deficiencies/poor diet
- For athletes, over-training
- Age
- Unexplained infertility
Men also have various reasons for infertility. Diabetes, overexposure to certain chemicals/toxins may play a role, as well as medications or steroid use, an enlarged vein in the testes (varicoceles), genetic defects, stress, illness with fever, etc. Too much exposure to heat may also contribute to infertility, for example, spending a lot of time in hot tubs, spas, etc.
Sometimes there is no apparent cause of infertility in either women or men, which can be frustrating.
Many couples choose in-vitro fertilization rather than IUI fertility treatment, and acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can be the difference and boosts success rates with either type of treatment.
How Acupuncture Helps Intrauterine Insemination
How does IUI acupuncture support the IUI fertility treatment process? First of all, acupuncture can significantly reduce the anxiety and stress many women experience when the sole focus of life is getting pregnant. During this time, it seems like it’s the only thing on your mind, and most likely, it feels like everyone around you is pregnant. When you’re taking medications to enhance your fertility acupuncture treatments, enhance these drugs’ action while alleviating the negative side effects they may cause. Perhaps most importantly, acupuncture enhances blood flow to your ovaries, relaxes the uterus, so it becomes more receptive, and generally creates a nourishing, welcoming environment to increase the likelihood of success.
In-vitro fertilization is a far more costly procedure than IUI fertility treatment; however, it’s often necessary and can also feel more proactive because your eggs are physically removed and often fertilized. There is also an ability to test the embryos genetically, and that can be very helpful. Individuals and couples who opt for IVF can increase pregnancy outcomes with acupuncture, herbal therapy, lifestyle, and nutrition, and these therapies can help you feel better during the process. If you have come to a place where it all feels impossible and think that nothing will work, consider Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture supports you while you’re undergoing IUI or IVF and often turns the journey in a positive new direction.
At Aquino Acupuncture & Holistic Health, our fertility clinic provides personalized, one-on-one care to each patient. Every person is unique, and infertility is our specialty. If you are in Toluca Lake or Burbank and want to learn more about IUI acupuncture and its wonderful benefits, contact us now at 323-642-6800. Our compassionate, caring practitioners are here for you!