AssistedConception.org

Alternative therapy is a generic term which describes holistic treatments which can usually be carried out independently to treat various medical condition or in conjunction with traditional Western medicine. The two main treatments which are currently cited as being potential benefits to infertility and fertility treatment are Reflexology and Acupuncture.

Both treatments are thought to work on the mind/body/spirit centres and aim to bring the body back into its natural state of harmony.

Reflexology is an extremely relaxing treatment for most people and it is thought to boost natural fertility and detoxify the body, therefore better preparing you for pregnancy which ever root you take. Some more recent theories suggest that reflexology, if performed in the early stages of an IVF cycle, can improve egg quality and quantity.

Acupuncture is currently becoming more widely accepted by the Western medical profession as a treatment which may be beneficial during fertility treatment. Recent research carried out in Germany by Paulus and Zhang suggests that acupuncture can increase implantation and thus pregnancy rates, if performed at specific times around embryo transfer.

This information should not be taken as a replacement for medical advice

Counselling helps “perfectionist” women regain their fertility and become pregnant, US researchers say. They found cognitive behaviour therapy alone was enough to help some women who had stopped having periods and ovulating to regain their fertility. The therapy is usually used to treat people with depression.

A European fertility conference in Prague heard a build-up of stress can play a major role in preventing a woman from ovulating. But sometimes the effect can build up gradually in a subtle way.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can counter this by helping women to “make molehills out of mountains", the researchers said. Many of the women seen by the team were perfectionists - whether they had high-powered jobs or stayed at home - leading to high levels of stress.

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Reflexology is a complementary therapy and works on the principle that there are reflex points on the feet which directly correspond to different parts of the body. By stimulating specific reflex points it is therefore possible to directly stimulate specific parts of the body. Reflexology is a fantastic therapy that treats the person as a whole- mind, body and spirit. It is amazingly relaxing and helps the body fight off the adverse effects of stress, as well as raising your natural endorphin levels to give you that all important feel good factor.

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