Three Alternative Therapies to Increase Fertility

Learn how alternative therapies such as yoga, hypnosis or laughter might help women deal with infertility.

The power of your mind and your emotions can have positive effects on you health. This is the guiding principle of alternative therapies, which restore the link between body and mind.

Think about the moments you're stressed! During those moments, your body releases certain hormones that fight stress, but also create a hormonal imbalance in your body. Researchers have shown that stress is not healthy. For example, if you always have a defensive attitude you can suffer from hypertension. Alternative therapies aim to bring relaxation for both mind and body, as this way the levels of anti-stress hormones decrease and the body will function normally.

Stress is one factor affecting fertility that leads to a hyper secretion of adrenaline and prolactin, which inhibits the production of hormones necessary for ovulation. Alternative therapies might be the help you need to cope with stress and infertility.

1. Yoga

If you were fascinated by yoga techniques, which have more and more followers, now it would be an appropriate time to try them, too. Yoga is a combination of asanas (postures) and breathing techniques, which help you get into a state of relaxation and meditation. Yoga is used for male and female infertility because it helps the body to relax and restore the normal blood flow to the genitals, thus increasing the number of eggs and sperm.

Yoga for fertility is a type of yoga that combines traditional poses with some specifically designed techniques in order to improve reproductive health and, therefore, your chances of conceiving. Yoga reduces stress, which means the levels of estrogen, progesterone, LH and FSH are rebalanced. It also regulates the menstrual cycle. Yoga improves circulation, which is extremely important because it provides the necessary amount of oxygen and nutrients to reproductive organs. According to a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, women who practice yoga are two times more likely to become pregnant compared with those who do not practice it at all.

2. Hypnosis

You have probably heard that hypnosis can help you quit smoking, get rid of stress and even pain during childbirth. It can also help you fight infertility. Let yourself in the hands of an experienced therapist, who can help you get rid of bad thoughts after inducing the trance. Using hypnosis you can eliminate many of the factors that negatively influence fertility. Hypnosis may lower blood pressure, boost immune system, and regulate hormone levels. It also helps in reducing stress and anxiety, which impede your hormonal functions.

A study conducted, in 2014, by specialists in Israel, showed that the use of hypnosis during in vitro fertilization embryo transfer doubled the success rate of this procedure. Due to hypnosis the body relaxed and uterine contractions were reduced.

3. Laughter therapy

When was the last time you laughed? If you don't even remember the last smile, then you should consider laughter therapy. It will not only make you feel happy instantly, but it also has a beneficial effect on the body.

Laughter therapy is used to relieve stress, reduce the cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones), strengthen the immune system, and release nervous tension. Doctors at Medical Center "Assaf Harofeh" in Zerifin, Israel, showed the positive effects of laughter in treating infertility. They used clown therapy among women who were to undergo in vitro fertilization. The success rate of the procedure increased with 35% for patients who saw the funny characters.

If you want to conceive, you should at least consider buying a ticket to the circus or to the cinema to see a comedy.

Do not give up trying! Alternatives exist, and one of them might help you achieve your dream: to be a parent!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.