About 15% of American couples suffer from infertility. While approximately one third of this number is ascribed to male infertility, one third is ascribed to female infertility and rest is ascribed to infertility on the part of both the husband and the wife. There has actually been an increase in cases of infertility over the years. This can be attributed to various factors such as stressful life, smoking, drinking, unhealthy food habits, unhealthy lifestyle etc.

Whatever be the factor responsible, fertility is often the casualty. In many cases the effect of these factors can be mitigated by traditional alternative therapies like yoga, hypnosis etc. It is possible that mitigation of factors responsible for infertility can help a woman become pregnant.

Do Alternative Therapies Work?

Alternative therapies are so called since they are sometimes considered to be alternative to modern medicine. However, it is a fact that these therapies used to be the mainstay of traditional treatment in some countries. Chinese traditional medicine, acupuncture, yoga, Ayurveda etc used to be practiced widely in China and India respectively. It is only due to the tangible success of these therapies, corroborated through various anecdotal evidences that people have continued to resort to these therapies.

Alternative Pregnancy Therapies That You May Turn To For Getting Pregnant

Ayurveda or Herbal therapy

Ayurveda is a traditional Indian therapy for a variety of maladies afflicting human beings. It is based on the healing power of herbs. But Chinese traditional medicine also deals with herbs at length. Panax ginseng, a traditional Chinese herb, has been used since time immemorial to boost male fertility.

Chyavan Prash, a herbal concoction, prepared on the basis of ancient medical texts, is considered to improve immunity and sexual vigour in men. Asparagus Racemosus, a traditional Indian herb, also known as Shatavari, is considered to be able to rejuvenate female sexual vigour.

According to Ayurvedic practitioners, this herb has the ability to nourish and cleanse the female reproductive system. Chasteberry is a Mediterranean herb that has the ability to stimulate the production of sex hormones and establish a balance between various hormones in the female system, such as estrogen and progesterone.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicines are made from extracts of plants, animal tissues and minerals. Homeopathic remedies are known for the energy of their source rather than the material itself since these materials are highly diluted. This is why the side effects of these medicines are almost insignificant. There are homeopathic medicines for fertility and miscarriage too. For male infertility treatment homeopathic doctors use medicines like Thuja and for male impotence they may prescribe Lucopodium. For women’s infertility treatment there is Caulophyllum, Calcaria Carbonica etc. Overall, homeopathic treatment works well for some women.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been known to alleviate fertility problems in China for thousands of years. This includes both male and female infertility. The approach of this discipline of traditional Chinese medicine revolves around de-stressing. Stress can be responsible for less sperm count in male. It can also be responsible for lack of ovulation in women. With the help of Acupuncture, stress, in both men and women, can be minimized. Even doctors acknowledge that stress can be one of the factors for infertility. It is a fact that the hormone Cortisol is responsible for stress. Acupuncture, can help in reducing stress level by aiding the release of endorphins. This may rectify the hormonal disorder responsible for lack of fertility.

Aromatherapy

In aromatherapy the essential oils of herbs, plants, flowers and roots are used to treat various disorders. It is believed that essential oils in various herbs and various parts of these herbs and plants have various medicinal qualities. Essential oils from Fennel have been known to be beneficial for the female reproductive system since ancient times. Similarly, the oils of Clary Sage herb are known to promote regulation of female hormone levels. It also enhances libido in women. Moreover, it is also said to be beneficial for male infertility.

Traditional Chinese medicine

Herbal and acupuncture treatments have been known to alleviate gynaecological problems for thousands of years in China. This also includes treatment for male and female infertility. The approach of this discipline of traditional medicine revolves around rectifying the flow of energy. It is believed that in any physical disorder the flow of energy gets disturbed. It does not flow through the proper channels. This deprives the organs from the required energy. It is believed that if adequate energy does not flow to the lower part of the body, it may affect various functions including fertility. For this part of the body the energy is believed to flow through the kidney. So acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbs focus on revitalising the kidney energy. There are anecdotal evidences of some women benefiting from this treatment.

Stress reduction therapy

This can really be a beneficial treatment if stress is responsible for your infertility. In fact, even modern medicines acknowledge that stress is one of the reasons for male and female infertility. Traditional stress reduction therapies like yoga can alleviate stress levels and improve fertility.

Research on some of these therapies is also being conducted in some countries. It is heartening to known that some of these countries have also integrated definite features of traditional therapies in their curricula. Even prestigious institutions such as Harvard have incorporated these aspects in their curriculum. Today, it is widely known as Integrative Medicine.

Read more: Ultimate Guide for Infertility Treatment for Females

References