Complementary Medicine for Infertility
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.3% of American women aged 15–44 have an impaired ability to become pregnant. About 6% of married women are unable to get pregnant after at least 12 consecutive months of unprotected sex with her spouse. While infertility rates can be difficult to measure, the CDC estimates that those percentages comprise around 8.5 million American women.
There are a variety of methods that couples that wish to become pregnant can try. Increasingly, couples seek complementary and alternative medicine therapies to improve fertility. In the United States, a cohort study found that among couples seeking fertility care, 29% used a complementary or alternative therapy. Of that group, 22% tried acupuncture and 17% tried herbal therapy, the most commonly sought therapies.
We know that pregnancy and fertility are influenced by a variety of factors that extend beyond health status. In addition to the biological, fertility can be influenced by genetic, stress, lifestyle, and environmental factors, among others. Read on to get the perspectives of providers, clients, and some evidence for the therapies.
Practitioner Perspectives
A qualitative study comprised interviews with ten complementary and alternative medicine practitioners who specialize in fertility treatment. In the interviews, providers described their patient assessment protocols and therapies they offer. Interestingly, the providers emphasized that they focus on personalized therapies targeted to the specific factors that may impair fertility.
Many providers noted that they have limited interaction with conventional medicine doctors when working on fertility treatments. They said they wished for more opportunity to take an integrative approach to fertility treatment by interacting with other providers. Furthermore, they indicated that many women who seek fertility treatment might benefit from emotional support and improved lifestyle behaviors. Taking a perspective of the “whole person,” as is common in complementary and alternative medicine can play a major role in improving reproductive health.
Client Perspectives
While the conventional healthcare system is moving toward more patient-centered care, many complementary medicine providers take a collaborative approach with their clients than do conventional providers. Many women who had tried conventional infertility treatments, affirm their experience with complementary medicine as “affirming and empowering.” In one study, women cited their positive relationships with complementary medicine providers as a major factor in their persistence with complementary therapies.
Complementary Medicine Therapies for Infertility
Women who are seeking to become pregnant can take a complementary medicine approach at home before seeing a provider. Adopting a balanced diet, reducing stress, staying physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight are lifestyle therapies that remove fertility treatment from the strictly biological realm.
In general, rigorous scientific analyses of complementary therapies are lacking. While most complementary therapies are considered to be low risk and non-invasive, the peri-conceptual period requires specific study and analysis to make sure the therapies are safe and effective.
Acupuncture Therapy
The most extensive evidence exists in favor of seeking acupuncture treatment to enhance fertility. In one randomized trial, women who were experiencing infertility received one of two treatments. They were randomized to either a lifestyle intervention, comprising diet and lifestyle behavioral intervention, or to the diet and lifestyle intervention with personalized acupuncture therapy. Both treatments lasted for three months. After the three months, those who had received acupuncture conceived within an average of 5.5 weeks. The diet and lifestyle group conceived within an average of 10.67 weeks. Additionally, those participants who received acupuncture became more aware of their fertility and menstrual cycles and improved their wellbeing.
Taking an Integrative Approach
In a study cited above, women seeking complementary therapies for infertility expressed reluctance to tell their conventional providers about their complementary therapies. Interestingly, however, another study found that most women who seek complementary therapies for infertility also see at least one conventional medicine provider, such as a primary care physician or an obstetrician. Indeed, women who saw a physician for pregnancy care were more likely to consult with an acupuncturist than were those who did not see a physician.
Here at EthosWell, we strongly recommend taking an integrative approach to all care. It’s important to loop in both types of providers to ensure that a pregnancy is as safe and healthy as possible, and that fertility treatments are effective.
References
Cochrane S, Smith CA, Possamai-Inesedy A, Bensoussan A. Prior to Conception: The Role of an Acupuncture Protocol in Improving Women’s Reproductive Functioning Assessed by a Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM. 2016;2016:3587569.
O’Reilly E, Sevigny M, Sabarre KA, Phillips KP. Perspectives of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Practitioners in the Support and Treatment of Infertility. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2014; 14:394.
Rayner J, McLachlan HL, Forster DA, Cramer R. Australian Women’s Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines to Enhance Fertility: Exploring the Experiences of Women and Practitioners. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2009; 9:52.
Smith JF, Eisenberg ML, Millstein SG, et al. The Use of Complementary and Alternative Fertility Treatment in Couples Seeking Fertility Care: Data from a Prospective Cohort in the United States. Fertility and Sterility. 2010; 93:7. 2169–2174.
Steel A, Adams J, Sibbritt D, Broom A, Gallois C, Frawley J. Utilisation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Practitioners Within Maternity Care Provision: Results from a Nationally Representative Cohort Study of 1,835 Pregnant Women. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2012; 12:146.
About the Author
Jenna Troup spearheads EthosWell’s wellness research and works in both traditional and alternative medicine. She has a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is a devoted spin class attendee and yoga practitioner. Contact her on Twitter: @JennaCTroup and @EthosWell.
