Acupressure Therapy to Boost Fertility

Acupressure is an alternative form of therapy that follows an ancient Chinese practice. It aims to alleviate various ailments by trying to correct and improve the circulation of blood and life force in the human body.

It can improve fertility problems in both and men and women. Infertility has been on the rise these days because of our unhealthy and stressful lifestyles. Though various high-end medical interventions try to cure infertility, they can have side effects. A natural therapy like acupressure can help address infertility with no side effects.

What is Acupressure?

In acupressure therapy, pressure is applied to certain points in our body. It follows the same principles as acupuncture; but unlike acupuncture, it does not use needles, but makes use of fingers, hands or specialised tools to apply pressure to specific points in our body. Sometimes the pressure point is nowhere near the body part where the problem persists.

This helps maintain the balance in our body’s life energy or force, which is popularly known as ‘chi’ or ‘qi’. This also helps improve and stimulate blood circulation. Fertility problems can be caused by insufficient circulation in the uterus and ovaries. Acupressure technique has many benefits.

Advantages of Acupressure for Fertility

Dalene Barton-Schuster, a certified herbalist, said in an article that acupressure stimulates vital points called meridians on healing pathways of our body, through which our life force called ‘qi’ flows. Our body has 14 meridians with numerous points that correspond to a particular organ and disease patterns. The disease patterns are blocks in the meridians. Stimulation by acupressure will move the blockage and improve your health.

Medically, acupressure helps improve fertility in four major ways:

• Improves blood flow to the reproductive organs.
• Reduces existing inflammation by helping get rid of toxins from the human body.
• Reduces pain and stress.
• Improves pelvic functions.

Generally, it also has many benefits:

• No side-effects.
• Cost-effective.
• Safe.
• Non-invasive.
• Helps conceive.
• Eliminates side-effects of fertility medication.

It also has multiple specific benefits for both sexes.

1. Advantages for Men

Typically, male infertility is associated with semen problems that can be diagnosed with semen analysis. It is also connected to ejaculatory dysfunction. Improvement in male fertility can be achieved via proper sperm production and transport, and better sexual performance. To achieve all this, there need to be normal levels of the hormone testosterone in your body.

Acupressure helps:

• Maintain the balance of hormone levels.
• Decreases stress associated with infertility.
• Regulates the kidneys.
• Revitalises reproductive organs.

2. Advantages for Women

Women experiencing any reproductive disorders can hugely benefit from acupressure as well. They can get relief from:

• Premenstrual syndrome.
• Painful menstruation.
• Absent periods.
• Endometriosis.
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Irregular menstrual cycles.
• Hormonal imbalance.

It can be safely used along with medication for IUI or IVF preparation. It also helps your body prepare for pregnancy.

Who Should Try Acupressure for Fertility?

Here are the symptoms and conditions under which you can try acupressure for fertility benefits. If you have been –

• Diagnosed for infertility.
• Suffering from PMS and painful menstruation.
• Missing periods.
• Diagnosed with pelvic stagnation problems like Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts, PCOS.
• Have an irregular menstrual cycle.
• Planning to conceive.
• Preparing of IUI/IVF.
• Suffering from hormonal imbalance.
• Having pre-menopause symptoms.
• Going through menopause.

Acupressure Points for Female Fertility

There are specific acupressure points associated with acupressure for female infertility trying to conceive and the menstrual cycle. They are located along certain areas of the body that will ensure optimum flow of energy. Here are ten main acupressure points for women for fertility. The location of these points is usually in cun measurements. I cun is approximately 1 cm. You can also do the measurements in finger width.

1. Ren 3 and 4

They are in the abdomen. Ren 3 is 4 centimetres or 4 fingers width below the umbilicus (belly button). It helps regularise menstruation, improves kidney function, and alleviates pelvic inflammation and endometriosis. Ren 4 is in the middle of the abdomen, around three cm below the umbilicus and optimises energy flow to the uterus.

2. Zigong

It is located just at the ovaries and improves blood circulation to the uterus and ovaries.

3. Ren 12

Located between the belly button and the sternum, it helps release harmful body fluids accumulated in the uterus, Fallopian tubes or bladder.

4. St 30

It is around five cm below the umbilicus and lateral, placed two cm from the mid-line of your body. It aids ovulation and improves the entire reproductive system.

5. Epang II

It is on the two sides of the scalp just above the hairline, towards the outer region of the eyebrows. It alleviates PMS, painful and irregular menstruation.

6. Yintang

It is on the forehead between the eyebrows. It helps improve pituitary gland functions that are associated with the release of female sex hormones. It also relieves migraine and stress headaches.

7. LI4

It is one of the most effective among hand acupressure points for fertility. It is on the web of the hand in between the thumb and index finger.

8. Liv 3

Located on the top of the foot, parallel to the ball of the foot, between the big toe and second toe. It has overall benefits for the female reproductive system.

9. SP 6

It is about four fingers width directly on the inner ankle bone. It is easy to find and helps address female infertility effectively.

10. St 36

It is about two fingers below the knee, on the outer part of the lower leg, close to the tibia. This point also has various fertility related benefits.

Acupressure Points for Male Fertility

These are the certain acupressure points for infertility in men that work very well.

1. LV8

It is on the side of the knee joint, behind the medial condyle of the tibia. It can help reduce pain in the external genitalia, low sperm production, infertility, insomnia, depression, panic attacks, venereal diseases etc.

2. SP6

It is in the inside of the leg, four fingers-width over the inner ankle bone. It also helps maintain balance, depression, impotence, low sperm count, sterility, low libido, pain in the external genitalia, warts, haemorrhoids, insomnia and regulates hormones etc.

3. Bladder (B) 23 and 4

These are known as the ‘Sea of Vitality’ points. They are on the lower back, in between the second and the third lumbar vertebrae, two finger width away from the spine at the waist level. They help with infertility, impotence, quick fall (ejaculation), reproductive issues, fatigue, lower back pain etc.

4. Kidney (K) 1

Known as ‘Bubbling Springs,’ it is in the middle of the sole at the base of the ball and between the two pads. It helps with menopause problems and erectile dysfunction.

5. Kidney (K) 3

Called the ‘Bigger Stream’, it is located between the inside of the anklebone and the Achilles’ tendon, behind the ankle. It helps relieve sexual anxiety, semen leak, tiredness and libido problems.

6. Stomach (St) 36

Known as the ‘Three Mile Point’, it is at a four-finger-width from the kneecap, one-finger-width away from outside of the shinbone. It adds body vitality and helps the reproductive systems.

7. Conception Vessel (CV) 4

This point is called the ‘Gate Origin’, and it is located precisely at the four-finger-width below the belly button. It helps with impotence, erectile problems, uro-reproductive issues and urinary incontinence.

8. Bladder (B) 27 and Bladder (B) 34

Called ‘Sacral Points”, they are in the sacrum, at the spine base, just above the tailbone. They help treat impotence and reproductive problems.

9. Conception Vessel (CV) 6

It is at the three-finger-width below the belly button which adds reproductive vitality and treats erectile problems, semen fall, night incontinence, hernia and uro-reproductive issues.

10. Spleen (Sp) 13

Called ‘Mansion Cottage’, it is located in the pelvis, at the centre of the creased area where your leg connects to your body. It helps with erectile dysfunction.

How to Apply Self Acupressure for Fertility?

You can easily and safely try acupressure at home. However, it is ideal to take initial guidance from a professional to get trained about the exact pressure points and cun measurements. Usually, one cun is approximately 1 centimetre, as already mentioned before. It is a fulfilling experience if you do it with your partner as well.

Here is our guidance:

• Use your fingertips or thumb to apply pressure to the point corresponding to the problem you have. You may also use the end of a wooden spoon or a pencil eraser.
• Do not press so hard that you feel pain or discomfort. Press only that much as to keep you comfortable.
• If your acupressure points are on your backside, seek your partner’s help.
• To stimulate the point correctly, you need to move your fingers in a clockwise direction slowly.
• Take slow, deep, breaths when you apply the pressure.
• Press for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Then release the first point and move onto the next.
• Keep your nails short to avoid scratching the pressure point.

Caution

You need to take these precautions in case of acupressure for female infertility when trying to conceive. You should use acupressure –

• The entire month if you are preparing for pregnancy, but have not actively started to try to conceive.
• Before ovulation, if you are trying to conceive naturally or through IUI.
• Till the day before embryo transfer, if you are preparing for IVF.

Do not use acupressure if you are pregnant. You should ideally also consult a healthcare professional before practising acupressure at home to get your specific problems diagnosed first. This will ensure that you know the exact pressure points that will benefit you.