The Connection Between Acupuncture, Hormones, and Ovulation: How It All Works

If you're trying to balance your hormones, improve your menstrual cycle, or even boost fertility, you may have heard that acupuncture can help. But how exactly does sticking tiny needles into your body affect your hormones and ovulation? Let’s break it down.

Acupuncture: More Than Just Needles

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine practice that involves inserting very thin needles into specific points on the body. These points are believed to influence the flow of energy, or "Qi" (pronounced "chee"), helping to restore balance and promote healing. While this might sound mystical, modern science is showing us that acupuncture has real, measurable effects—especially when it comes to hormones and ovulation.

How Acupuncture Affects Hormones

Your hormones are like messengers in your body, coordinating everything from mood to metabolism to reproduction. When it comes to ovulation, hormones play a crucial role in regulating your menstrual cycle. Acupuncture helps influence these hormones in a few key ways:

1. Reducing Stress Hormones (Cortisol and Adrenaline) Stress is one of the biggest disruptors of hormonal balance. When you’re constantly stressed, your body produces high levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which can interfere with ovulation. Acupuncture has been shown to lower stress hormones, helping your body shift from “fight or flight” mode into a more relaxed state. This creates a better environment for balanced reproductive hormones.

2. Regulating the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovarian (HPO) Axis This axis is like the command center for your reproductive system. The hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to release hormones that tell your ovaries to ovulate. If this system is out of sync, ovulation may become irregular or stop altogether. Acupuncture helps regulate the HPO axis, promoting more predictable cycles and improving ovulation.

3. Increasing Blood Flow to the Ovaries and Uterus Good circulation is essential for healthy ovarian function and a thick, nourishing uterine lining. Acupuncture helps increase blood flow to these areas, which can improve egg quality and create a more hospitable environment for implantation if pregnancy is the goal.

4. Balancing Key Reproductive Hormones

• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH): These hormones trigger ovulation. If they're too high or too low, ovulation may not occur. Acupuncture helps regulate these hormones, increasing the chances of ovulation.

• Estrogen and Progesterone: These hormones control the menstrual cycle and the uterine lining. Acupuncture can help maintain a healthy balance, preventing issues like irregular cycles or luteal phase defects.

• Prolactin: High prolactin levels can suppress ovulation. Acupuncture has been shown to lower prolactin, helping the body maintain a cycle that supports fertility.

Acupuncture and Ovulation: What the Research Says

Studies suggest that acupuncture can help women with irregular cycles, anovulation (lack of ovulation), and conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can interfere with ovulation. Some research even shows that acupuncture can improve the success rates of fertility treatments like IVF by enhancing ovarian response and improving implantation rates.

What to Expect from Acupuncture for Hormonal Balance

If you're considering acupuncture to support ovulation, here’s what you can expect:

• Regular Sessions: Most acupuncturists recommend weekly or bi-weekly treatments for a few months to see noticeable changes.

• Holistic Approach: Acupuncturists often combine needling with lifestyle and dietary advice to optimize your results.

• Minimal Side Effects: Acupuncture is generally safe, with few side effects beyond occasional mild bruising at needle sites.

Final Thoughts

Acupuncture is a natural, holistic way to support hormonal balance and improve ovulation. By reducing stress, regulating key hormones, and increasing blood flow to reproductive organs, it creates the ideal conditions for a healthy cycle. Whether you're trying to conceive or just want more balanced hormones, acupuncture is worth exploring.

So, if your hormones feel out of whack or your ovulation is irregular, maybe it’s time to give acupuncture a shot—literally!

HGTV Star Credits Acupuncture for Her Third Pregnancy

In a clip from her new show Christina on the Coast, HGTV star Christina Anstead said, “I know some people are going to think that all of this is a bit out there, but let me tell you, it works.”

What was she talking about? Acupuncture, of course.

Yep, Christina credits acupuncture for helping her to achieve her third, healthy pregnancy that resulted in her soon-to-be one-year-old son, Hudson.

In a recent article from People Magazine, Christine previously told them she “ 'didn’t think I could get pregnant anymore” ‘ because of her PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) diagnosis Her first child was conceived naturally with her ex-husband, Tarek El-Moussa, but her second came after two failed IVF treatments and a miscarriage. She added that while she can’t be 100% sure acupuncture was the solution her body needed, People reports she said that she found the practice’s stress-reducing effects “fascinating.”

She also said, “‘When I first worked with Sheila [her acupuncturist'] I told her I was having a lot of trouble getting pregnant, and then I had polycystic ovaries, and Sheila told me she could get me pregnant, and six days later I conceived Hudson.’”

In the episode, Christine tries to convince her best riend Cassie Zebisch to give acupuncture a try, and after a bit of convincing, she obliges.

The end result? She was relaxed and quiet within a few minutes.

We love helping women achieve their fertility goals, as well as turning non-believers into believers!

Call us or email us today to schedule your appointment!

Expecting? Here's How Acupuncture Can Help Your Pregnancy Symptoms

Whether you’re newly pregnant or are in the throes of an uncomfortable third trimester, you know all too well the ups and downs of pregnancy.

Sure, it’s a total miracle that we are grateful for. But that doesn’t mean it is easy on our bodies!

Whether you’re struggling with prenatal anxiety, aches and pains from the added weight and pressure of your baby, pregnancy-related insomnia, nausea, restless leg syndrome, or a few other symptoms, we’re here to help.

Yes, acupuncture can and does help relieve many of the physical and mental woes that come along with the pregnancy territory.

According to the famed What to Expect website, science has studied that can relieve the following pregnancy symptoms:

• Morning sickness (acupuncture points around the rest can be targeted. to help reduce unpleasant nausea and vomiting that might come along, especially in the first trimester.) 

• Lower back and pelvic pain (You're bound to have some aches and pains as your uterus expands and you're gaining weight. According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, acupuncture can help relieve this by targeting points on the ear. In fact, a study revealed that 80% of women in a group who had this type of treatment had a clinically significant reduction in pain, compared to 56$ of women who had "fake" acupuncture, and 36% of women who received no treatment.) 

• Depression (Hormones are bound to make your emotions feel a little out of whack, but actual depression while preggo is fairly common too, affecting nearly 25% of women. In a study from the journal titled Obstetrics & Gynecology, a clinical trial revealed that 65% of  clinically depressed pregnant women who received acupuncture specifically for depression responded to treatment, while only 44% of women who received general acupuncture or massage responded.) 

• Headaches (Restoring the balance of qi and blood flow can help to relieve the pain brought on by pregnancy-induced headaches.)

• Sleep Problems (Though pregnancy is exhausting, many women find it difficult to sleep. Acupuncture can help people restore their sleep cycles and get meaningful rest, whether they are pregnant or not.) 

There is a slew of other supportive articles too.

Here, WebMD outlines how acupuncture can help with pregnancy-related pelvic pain,

And here, Shape magazine discusses the safety of acupuncture while pregnant — where our very own Ani Baran, LaC is quoted!

If you’re looking to ease some of your pregnancy aches, pains, and symptoms, give us a call or click here to book today.

Acupuncture Shown to Improve IVF Success Rate

Infertility is one of the most under-talked about issues facing women and families across the world. There are many reasons women may struggle with infertility, and every women is different. Whether the cause of infertility is known or unknown, it can be a stressful and difficult thing for women and families to cope with.

When struggling to get pregnant naturally, many families will turn to alternative fertility methods. Success rates vary depending on the individual, but intrauterine insemination (commonly known as IUI) has an average success rate of 20%, while In Vitro Fertilization (commonly known as IVF) has an average success rate of 40% for women under 35, with decreasing rate at older ages.

These treatments are incredible modern medical marvels, and their success rates will only likely rise, but they can be very costly and time consuming for families. What if there were a natural, safe way to increase the chances of a procedure like IVF working to bring a beautiful baby into the world?

That might just be happening. A recent study conducted at Homerton University Hopsital in London, UK reveals that acupuncture has been shown to significantly increase the success rate of IVF. In the study, the ongoing pregnancy rate of those who received acupuncture was over 53%, and just under 28% for those who did not.

“The protocol uses acupuncture points to stimulate blood circulation to the ovaries in order to achieve good follicle quantity and size,” says Karen Gillerman,LAc, BSc (Hons), MBAcC, the lead author of the study. “It also uses points to stimulate blood flow to the uterus and improve the uterine lining, as well as points to relax the patient.”

Infertility can be one of the more trying things for a family to endure, something we wish on nobody. But acupuncture is here to help.