Acupuncture and more for Infertility. Alternate and Complimentary Therapies for Infertility Treatment

Alternate and Complimentary Therapies for Infertility Treatment. Combining Therapies for Optimal Effect

Acupuncture and more for Infertility

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Alternatives to traditional Western medicine, sometimes referred to as alternative or complementary therapies, range from simple (but not always easy) lifestyle changes to professionally delivered treatments such as those in the realm of traditional Chinese medicine.

Complementary medicine is rapidly gaining in popularity. People seeking fertility assistance are eager to try therapies that are new to them, and more practitioners are starting to offer complementary techniques for infertility. While a few patients may be so enthusiastic as to choose only alternative therapies, most will likely prefer combining the knowledge and efforts of their "Western" reproductive specialists and other practitioners such as acupuncturists, herbalists, and naturalists. These patients hope that having "the best of both worlds" will provide optimal assistance toward their goal of successful pregnancy.

Alternative or Complementary?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, the difference may only reflect the patient's attitude toward a therapy's use. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, yoga, and similar approaches can be used alone, as alternatives to "Western" reproductive medicine, or in conjunction with Western medicine in a complementary fashion.

One physician who sees the value in using alternative therapies to complement his expertise is Dr. Edward Marut of Fertility Centers of Illinois. His opinion is that techniques such as yoga and meditation, "could aid in coping with stress and reaching a calmer level of existence, both to improve normal reproductive function, and for an overall better state of mind and health."

Mind/Body Connection

Ongoing research continues to point to connections between the psychological and the physical functioning of patients. Perhaps it's only logical that such findings lead to more practitioners of varied modalities working together for the patients' holistic well-being.

Psychologist Gayle Crespy says that it's typical for people who are going through infertility to also be dealing with anxiety and stress. In her private practice, the Behavioral Management Infertility Program, she commonly sees patients trying to cope with symptoms such as sleep loss, TMJ, tension headaches, and gastro-intestinal problems.

Modeled after the work of mind/body pioneer Alice Domar, Crespy's program teaches people how to elicit their own relaxation response. She also works with individuals and with groups to help them restructure their negative thoughts ("I'll never get pregnant...") to take advantage of the increasingly documented connections between the power of the mind and the body.

"It takes a lot of practice, and my patients are asked to continue doing so at home," explains Crespy. The goal is to make affirmative thinking become instinctual and without effort.

Dr. Marie Davidson, a clinical psychologist who specializes in support for fertility patients at Fertility Centers of Illinois, emphasizes the importance, too, of realizing that simply experiencing stress is not a sole cause of infertility.

"In my work," says Davidson, "I try mightily to reduce the power of the belief that stress is inextricably linked to fertility failure for two reasons: First, this belief creates yet more stress. Second, data to support it is not at all clear. My 'data,' as I sometimes tell patients, is this: if stress was preventing women from becoming pregnant, fertility patients would never have babies!"

Working Together

Most Western fertility experts are by now providing patients with knowledge about and access to practitioners of other therapies. An example is the combined program of FCI and Pulling Down the Moon®, a holistic treatment center, which provides all interested patients with several ways in which to reap the benefits of complementary approaches.

In addition to administering pre and post-service measurements to her patients to document the effects of her program, Gayle Crespy is also proactively maintaining contact with patients' physicians. She says that the doctors and staff appreciate the additional insight they gain from her reports.

Patients should avoid self-treating with herbals, and instead seek established professionals in the fields of alternative medicine. Open communication is essential when using several paths toward pregnancy. For all professionals on a patient's fertility team to render their best service, the patient is ultimately responsible for keeping each member informed as to the different treatments in which she is engaged.