Pressure exerted by the needle engenders a microelectric current, which causes a release of prostagladins into the bloodsteam. Prostagladins stimulate the production of a substance in the nerve endings that transmits messages to the hypothalamus, a section at the base of the brain that controls all hormonal activity and is intimately involved with ovulation, menstruation ,and pregnancy.
When the hypothalamus receives a message triggered by the stimulation of an acupuncture point, neurotransmitters like dopamine, adrenaline, and serotonin cause the conversion and release of GnRH, which acts on the pituitary gland, which controls the ovary, adrenal, and thyroid glands. The pituitary also produces FSH and LH, both of which are critical elements in a healthy ovulatory cycle. The bottom line is that acupuncture can stimulate the body’s hormonal system to do what it is supposed to: secrete the right hormones at the right time in a woman’s cycle.
Men also can benefit from the pituitary-stimulating effects of acupuncture. Acupuncture treatments can improve the concentration, volume, and motility of sperm. One study showed that more than one-third of the men treated with acupuncture showed improved quality of sperm.
Different acupuncture points have different effects. Some will decrease the sympathetic nervous system response which becomes important for women who are trying to conceive and are stressed about it. Some points actually cause changes within the cells. Some effect alterations in the brain’s chemicals; others can effect chemical changes within the uterine lining. Some improve circulation, and others have mainly local effects.
Points work via feedback. The body is a system of reactions and feedback: something happens with a nerve, which causes something to happen in the brain, which signals neurochemical changes, hormone level changes, or a million other responses. It is like a chain reaction – for example, when you stimulate a specific acupuncture point, it invigorate the blood, sending the whole body a message specific to that point and producing blood-thinning chemical reactions. When you stimulate different combinations of points, you can create even greater results and see those results more quickly. But each specific point, as well as each meridian, has a different function, and the art is in orchestrating a combination that achieves the desired effect.
Another theory addresses the neurological effects of acupuncture. Neural theory holds that inserting needles at acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system, releasing chemicals to either alleriate pain or affect the body’s internal regulation system. Acupuncture needles also stimulate specific nerve fibers to carry electrical impulses back to the brain, increasing beta-endorphin concentrations. Higher beta-endorphin concentrations reduce the sympathetic “fight or flight” response in the body and produce a feeling of relaxation and euphoria similar to runner’s high. This is one of the reasons people often feel more relaxed after an acupuncture treatment.
The study by Cornell University, published in the December 2002 issue of Fertility and Sterility, reported, “The peripheral impact of acupuncture in improving uterine artery blood flow and hence endometrial thickness … provides encouraging date regarding its potential positive effect on implantation.” The study concluded, “Because acupuncture is nontoxic and relatively affordable, its indications as an adjunct in assisted reproduction or as an alternative for women who are intolerant, ineligible, or contraindicated for conventional hormone induction of ovulation deserves serious research and exploration.”
(Randine Lewis, Ph.D., The Infertility Cure, chapter 7, page 101-103, published in January 2004)
