Uncategorized
Does Fertility Acupuncture Really Work?
First, what exactly is infertility? Infertility is when you’ve been trying to have a baby for a year or more if younger than 35 and 6 months or longer if over 35, without using any protection, and nothing’s happening. It’s like nature’s playing hard to get! According to the Center for Disease Control, around 18 percent of females 15-44 find it challenging to get pregnant. But guess what? It’s not just women dealing with this. Almost 6.9 million people have ventured into the world of fertility treatments. This might involve shots, popping pills, or even a little help from science with artificial insemination. But here’s the kicker – even with all these efforts, there’s no magical guarantee that a baby’s on the way. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster, no doubt.
You won’t believe it, but Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can really up your chances of having a baby, especially if you’re already diving into fertility treatments. It’s like giving Mother Nature a helpful nudge! The stats don’t lie – when you throw acupuncture and TCM into the mix, the success rates of conceiving jump from 39.4 percent to a solid 65.5 percent.
Curious about the effectiveness of fertility acupuncture? Let’s examine some evidence! A study released just last year by Evidence-Base Complementary and Alternative Medicine took a deep dive into 27 studies involving nearly 8,000 participants. What they found was quite interesting: acupuncture might just boost the chances of women with fertility issues getting pregnant. These results line up with what we’ve seen in earlier research, strengthening the case for acupuncture as an effective approach to tackling infertility.
So how does it work? Well, acupuncture does a few cool things. First, it’s like a chill pill for your stress, which can be a real baby-making roadblock. Plus, it gets the blood flowing down there to your baby-making organs and keeps your hormones in check. This extra blood flow does wonders for the ovaries and uterus, making it more likely for an egg to find a comfy home and grow into a little one. Any hey, it’s not just for the ladies. Acupuncture can also give a boost to the guys by improving the quality and swiftness of those little swimmers. It’s like a fertility superpower!
When it comes to acupuncture, those tiny needles are like traffic lights for your blood flow. For the guys, regular acupuncture sessions can actually boost the blood flow to your precious testicular highways. Why is that important? Well, your testicles need a good blood supply to stay healthy. It brings in all the nutrients, clears out the junk, and keeps the area nice and cool which is a perfect recipe for healthier sperm.
So, here’s the deal – the top reason for female fertility issues often boils down to ovulation troubles. It could be all sorts of things causing it, like wonky hormones, stress making a cameo, or even a bit too much “phlegm” hanging around the lower part of the body. These hiccups can sometimes stop a mature egg from making its grand exit from the ovaries.
And then there’s progesterone – when it’s in short supply, it can throw a wrench in the works, making it tough for a little one to snuggle up in the uterus. But here’s where acupuncture comes to the rescue. It’s like a superhero that can help iron out those hormonal wrinkles and get everything back in balance, making the whole baby-making process more likely to happen.
Doctor Michele Zic-Tuccino is a board-certified licensed acupuncturist and self-cultivated energy healer. She holds both a master’s and doctorate in acupuncture and has been sensitive to energy since childhood. Doctor Michele uses her background in science, clinical experience, and innate gift of energy healing to help women in their 30s and 40s and their partners with fertility challenges meeting them wherever they are on their journey towards building a family.
Quan K, Yu C, Wen X, Lin Q, Wang N, Ma H. Acupuncture as Treatment for Female Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022;2022:3595033. Published 2022 Feb 16. doi:10.1155/2022/3595033
Zegers-Hochschild F, Adamson GD, Dyer S, Racowsky C, De Mouzon J, Sokol R, et al. The international glossary on infertility and fertility care, 2017. Hum Reprod (2017) 32:1786–801. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dex234
Spring Into Health With Acupuncture
Spring is a time to not only declutter your home, but to also declutter your mind and body! Golden Proportion Acupuncture in Rutherford, NJ has tips to help you do both!
Spring Has Sprung, Let’s Enjoy!
Most people look forward to spring. It means new life, longer hours of daylight and warmer weather for us here in Northern New Jersey! This transition allows for the ability to get more done and spend more time outdoors, possibly shedding those extra pounds gained over the holidays and reconnecting with nature. But as with any seasonal change, there are organ systems that need specific attention. This is where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) excels in helping make a smooth transition.
Shifting Out of Winter
In TCM, the season of winter is associated with the element of water and it corresponds to the kidneys. The kidneys house our life force or jing and therefore, they must be constantly fed and replenished, as jing dissipates over time. Winter is the perfect time to do this. It is done by sleeping more, and eating hearty, warming seasonal foods.
Transitioning Into Spring
The season of spring is associated with the element of wood and it corresponds to the liver. As everything around us blossoms in the spring, so too should we embrace this time. But the liver tends to be a bit of a bully for many people and it must be kept in check! Often the winter months leave some stagnant feelings, which can manifest in different areas like relationships, work or even our bodies. If there is frustration, physical pain or sadness, it may be a sign that energy is not flowing properly or optimally.
Transition With Tips for Around the Home
One way to make the transition from winter to spring easier is by engaging in some spring cleaning. Getting rid of some of the clutter that has built up during the winter months may help with underlying frustration or sadness. Tossing out old clothing, magazines or just going through that one junk drawer we all have, will create an empty space that will then allow for growth throughout the spring season. Try this tip, throw away 10 things a day for 7 days starting today! At the end of the week you will have thrown away a whopping 70 things!! If you do that for one single month just imagine what your home would not only look like, but would feel like!
Transitioning With Diet Support
Eating according to the seasons is very important in TCM. As the weather gets warmer, most people gravitate towards healthier food options in an effort to lose some of the winter weight. But according to TCM, eating lighter, more natural foods actually gives the liver a chance to repair itself and that alone can help us feel more energetic and improve our clarity of thought. The immune system also functions better when excess sugar and dairy are removed.
Transitioning With Acupuncture Support
Acupuncture is one of the tools in the TCM toolbox that can also help make the transition from winter to spring easier. Acupuncture can balance the body as it reacts to the changes in the weather and activity levels. Regular acupuncture treatments have also been shown to boost immunity. Spring can also cause flare ups associated with seasonal allergies and acupuncture treatments can help with the inflammation, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes that accompany the allergic reactions. But most of all, acupuncture can help regulate those emotional imbalances that are often common during this transitional period.
By incorporating acupuncture into your life and utilizing the other suggested tips given above, you may just have a more enjoyable metamorphosis from winter into spring.
Do you suffer from common ailments associated with the change of season from Winter to Spring such as pain, sadness, inflammation, sneezing, runny nose and or watery eyes? Golden Proportion Acupuncture offers Acupuncture Services in Rutherford NJ and the surrounding areas that can help provide long-lasting relief that gets to the root of the problem.
Next Steps
Call us today, 201-296-5255, to find out how we can partner with you to help you reach your health and wellness goals so you can start living your best life NOW!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gpacenter to view our carefully curated self-care tips!
Happy Lunar New Year Welcome the Year of the Water Rabbit 2023!
The Lunar New Year celebration, also known as the Spring Festival, is a celebration unlike any other. I was first introduced to this celebration many years ago as Chinese New Year, however, I’ve grown to realize that Lunar New Year is important to many Asian cultures. It is celebrated around the world in many places including China, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Tibet. This celebration does not hold a specific date, rather it is based on the lunar calendar generally falling on a day between January 21st and February 20th.
This year Lunar New Year falls on January 22nd
The Lunar New Year celebrations happen in phases
New Year’s Eve
Spring & Lantern Festival
Acupuncture Can Support Your New Year’s Goals
Is losing weight or lowering stress levels part of your New Year’s Resolution Goals?
Check out how Science shows ways that Acupuncture can help keep you on your path!
Tell me, how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? Hopefully quite well! Sometimes we do need a little help sustaining our goals though. In fact, according to a recent study when individuals have support with their resolutions, they are more successful in sustaining their goals even after one full year.
Yes, acupuncture can help with achieving the new goals we set for ourselves!
Losing weight, physical health and improving eating habits are the top three New Year’s resolutions. Amping up or starting a new workout, beginning a new diet, or refining our diet are common actions taken when trying to improve these habits. Acupuncture has been shown to help in many areas when it comes to losing weight including increasing energy and curbing cravings. For many, this is huge.
Acupuncture can also help balance hormones. Hormonal imbalances can lead people to eat more than they should and a lot of the things they shouldn’t, like sugary treats. Adding regular acupuncture treatments to proper diet and exercise can greatly increase the likelihood the weight will slowly come off, which is exactly how it should be approached.
When amping up your workouts or starting a new workout program muscles can become sore or overworked. This is another area where acupuncture can help. Relieving pain and muscle spasms is the most common reason people go to see an acupuncturist. Unfortunately, it is usually after they have tried everything else without success. Why not avoid the middleperson and just go straight to the source? Acupuncture is great for helping relieve pain and spasms, which will allow you to return to the gym more often, thus helping with resolution number one, losing weight.
Finally, regular acupuncture treatments can help relieve stress. According to a study out of the University of Scranton high stress levels are one of the top three reasons why people who make New Year’s resolutions let their resolutions slip. Moreover, many studies have been conducted on the connection between stress and its negative effect on health and wellness. Acupuncture is a wonderful way to relax and unwind and numerous studies have shown acupuncture can not only decrease stress and anxiety, but it can also lower blood pressure. For those who are on blood pressure regulating medications, this can be a great adjunctive therapy that can ultimately lead to taking less medications or even being able to stop them altogether.
Acupuncture is not a trendy weight loss and stress relief fad; it is a scientific evidence based health care system.
Acupuncture helps get to the root of what is causing your concerns to help you achieve the balance you are looking for.
So don’t forget to include regular acupuncture treatments as a part of sustaining your New Year resolution goals. You might just be surprised how much easier it is to keep resolutions and achieve your goals!
Are you tired of feeling tired?
Are you ready to feel in control of your cravings, weight, and stress levels?
Call me today to find out how I can partner with you to help you reach your health and wellness goals!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gpacenter to view our upcoming self-car tips on how to decrease cravings and lower your stress levels based on Chinese Medicine theory.
