So let's get to the elephant in the fertility clinic waiting room…needles.

Fertility patients are already familiar with needles. It seems like they are everywhere we look – at the doctor's office when we are getting blood levels for all those confusing hormones, at home when we inject our meds…do we really want to seek them out in our spare time?

The needles used by an acupuncturist are incredibly thin and flexible, more akin to a hair brush bristle than they hypodermic you probably have in mind. Needles are inserted into specific and individualized points in the body to help distribute the flow of energy in the body. Acupuncture needles induce the release of neurotransmitters and endorphin that in turn help to direct blood flow and induce the stress response. Most experience the insertion of these needles as either painless or a slight pinch. Once placed there is often a deep sense of relaxation and rest.

Needles are among the most ancient of TCM tools, the first ones were made with shards of bone. Your practitioner may also use other more modern tools during your sessions. These include the use of electro-stimulation machines to provide greater stimulus through the needles (used extensively in fertility acupuncture to stimulate uterine blood flow) and a special kind of lamp, called a TDP lamp. This light bulb in this lamp emits ultraviolet light through a mineral-coated plate. The therapeutic benefits of TDP treatment are thought to include increases in microcirculation and improved immune response.

In our next blog we will discuss the specific treatment recommendations for different fertility diagnosis.

Ready to start? You can click here to schedule your Initial Fertility Acupuncture Consult with one of our specialists. Have questions? Give us a call at 312-321-0004 (Chicago Area) or 301-610-7755 (DC Metro).