At NMR in Somerset, NJ, we are successfully integrating Eastern and Western Medicine to facilitate optimal health. A healthy body is a happy body and is also a fertile body.
Our licensed acupuncturist, Ellen Policastri, has invested many years in the study and treatment of infertility with an Eastern Medicine approach. There is no secret that these thousand-years-old modalities are now supported by many scientific studies in multiple areas of health. Ellen has joined forces with a team of passionate clinicians here at NMR to tackle infertility from all angles. Acupuncture has a very special place in our treatment approach both for couples that are looking for natural answers to conceive or those who are pursuing assisted medical treatments.
Along with therapeutic lifestyle modifications, detoxification, clinical nutrition and other targeted therapies utilized in our practice, acupuncture for reproductive health and fertility has been shown to improve outcomes for our couples. Some of the physiological benefits include: improved blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, reduce miscarriages, improve thickness of the uterine lining, increase live birth rates, increase sperm count, motility and morphology, regulate hormones and menstrual cycles, reduce stress, and enhance the immune system. This complementary approach can help improve outcomes of those trying to conceive using IVF or IUI.
Acupuncture is also integrated in our pregnancy and post-partum programs along with pelvic floor therapy, supportive nutrition and chiropractic for our women patients throughout their pregnancy and to facilitate healthy delivery with great therapeutic benefits. Our patients report decrease in the following symptoms: morning sickness, fatigue, constipation, insomnia, edema, anxiety/depression, high blood pressure and musculoskeletal pain. Studies show that patients that are utilizing an integrated therapeutic approach throughout their pregnancy are reporting reduced time spent in active labor and a reduced rate of medical intervention such as induction and caesarean section.
Optimal health and fertility are the result of complex interactions of many bodily systems, internal and external factors, not merely our reproductive organs alone.
It is crucial to understand the roles each of these factors play in our ability to conceive.
Stress: The inability to properly manage stress can influence ovarian function by creating a ‘fight or flight’ response in the body. During periods of stress, reproduction is not a priority for our bodies. Biofeedback is a modality that provides practical tools for stress management and is part of the integrated approach at NMR.
Nutrition: Poor nutrition and increased toxic load are proven to not only decrease egg quality and miscarriage rates due to chromosomal abnormalities, but also to lower sperm counts in men. Understanding how to support the body with nutrient dense foods is crucial for conception.
Blood Flow: Women who are trying to conceive later in life may experience decreased blood flow to reproductive organs. Such changes are similar to those that affect our aging joints and muscles and can be reversed with the help of acupuncture. Physical therapy exercises and visceral manipulation techniques such as Mercier Therapy can also help.
Toxicity: Environmental exposures, food sources, water and even our home environment can be toxin generators. The first step in our fertility approach is to educate patients how to decrease these offenders, to facilitate liver biotransformation or detoxification and promote an internal environment supportive to health. A healthy body is a fertile body.
Targeted therapies: many patients that struggle with infertility are given an “unexplained” diagnosis. In most cases, the laboratory work-up is lacking depth. Factors that are involved in infertility are omitted in the investigation. At NMR we are offering comprehensive blood work and laboratory panels that are looking in depth at these factors. Many times such labs “explain” the reasons behind the struggle and allow our medical providers to specifically address and correct such concerns.
