A study published in Fertility and Sterility examined 80 patients who received acupuncture while already undergoing in-vitro fertilization. After six weeks, 42 percent of the women became pregnant.

One of the ways acupuncture increases fertility is by reducing stress, which is often a key factor in the fertility of both men and women. When people are under stress, the hormone cortizol is released in the brain. This alters the brain's neurochemical balance, thus changing hormone levels and disrupting the pituitary balance that is key to the reproductive cycle. Acupuncture counters the effects of stress and cortizol by releasing endorphins in the brain, which exert a calming effect that relieves symptoms of stress.

An imbalance in the amounts of estrogen and progesterone can also prevent pregnancy. Without enough progesterone, the fetus is be unable to attach to the uterus. High levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk, can also prevent ovulation. Acupuncture directly stimulates the hypothalamus to effectively balance these endocrine hormones.

Acupuncture can also increase fertility by increasing blood flow throughout the body. This provides a woman's reproductive organs with more nourishment and increases the density of the uterine wall. If men are experiencing problems with impotence, an increase in blood flow can increase potency.

According to a study conducted by the Washington Acupuncture Centre in which 10,000 patients were treated and tracked for three years, patients who had experienced sexual impotence improved by 57 percent after receiving acupuncture.

For more information please contact Pacific College of Oriental Medicine at (800) 729-0941 or go to www.PacificCollege.edu.