Imagine for a moment that your journey through infertility and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is like a great ocean with many waves.  We may not be able to keep the waves from coming, but what if we could find a better way of surfing the waves when they do arrive?  What if we found that we could float more easily through the difficult passages instead of drowning in our anxiety, depression, and frustration?  Research has indicated that the stress women endure during struggles with infertility is comparable to stress experienced when undergoing a serious illness, such as cancer or HIV.  Finding a healthy way to manage your stress is one of the greatest things you can do to help yourself through this time.

In fact, stress is an important physical response to any situation that seems threatening to our very survival.  Its origin can be traced back to our pre-historic ancestors, when stress served a very important function if one encountered, say, a sabertooth tiger!  Our body’s physiological response would be to bring more blood flow to the muscles and bones, to focus the mind sharply, and to increase strength in order to either attack or run from your predator. 

This is even called the ‘fight-or-flight’ response, coming from the sympathetic nervous system, in which your body releases stress-related hormones, like norepinephrine, in order to help you respond to the immediate emergency.  After this, your body would then return back to normal physiologic responses, allowing for a complete recovery, and keeping necessary stressors in a healthy balance.

Unfortunately, in today’s hectic world, we are living in a constant fight-or-flight situation with no “off switch”; continually being bombarded with non-stop stress, eventually developing an inability to close down the body’s stress response.  Over time, stress hormones, such as cortisol, may remain elevated instead of ‘switching off’, which can lead to or exacerbate many undesirable symptoms, including agitation, anxiety, headaches, heart palpitations, and even a decreased ability to fight infections.

Because the body’s sympathetic nervous system skillfully redistributes blood flow to the musculoskeletal system, it also takes blood away from the reproductive and gastrointestinal systems. (Why reproduce or eat when worrying about essential survival needs?)

Luckily, recent research on acupuncture shows that it may actually inhibit this sympathetic response after receiving quality treatments from an experienced practitioner.  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) balances and nourishes the body’s “chi”, or vital energy.  Attention to certain acupuncture points can promote blood flow to the uterus, which is certainly important when, during IVF, we wish to encourage egg implantation into a healthy and nutrient-rich endometrium, or uterine lining. 

Acupuncture, through this mechanism, may also help to decrease the intense anxiety most women feel during the infertility treatment process, as well as encouraging better quality sleep.  In addition, acupuncture is a viable alternative to taking anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication while trying to conceive, which many patients prefer.

Acupuncture is a safe, effective, and painless way to support your mind and body when you are experiencing stress related to an infertility diagnosis and treatment.  In conjunction with the excellent care you receive at SCRC, acupuncture can help you to gently unravel the body’s stress response.  Ask your REI doctor today if acupuncture would be appropriate for you.