Infertility can be
heartbreaking for couples trying to conceive children. In the modern medical
world, dozens of clinical treatments exist that can help to enable conception
for couples coping with infertility. However, when these methods fail-- or when
they are simply cost-prohibitive-- many a couple has resorted to alternative
and unusual methods for improving infertility.
Here are some of the strangest
treatments for infertility-- and how they just might actually work.
1. Wild Yam
Yams to treat infertility? It may
sound nutty-- and, in some ways, it is-- but wild yams are among the most
popular naturopathic interventions for women coping with infertility. Wild yams
containdiosgenin, a
steroid-like chemical that can be altered in a laboratory setting to synthesize
artificial hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. The plant's theoretical
hormone-altering effects could make wild yam a possible treatment for female
infertility.
2. Homeopathy
2. Homeopathy
Homeopathic medicine is not only the most bizarre treatment for
infertility-- it's the world's most bizarre form of medicine, period. Although
the term "homeopathy" is sometimes erroneously applied to
non-homeopathic practices, including herbal medicine and diet modification, it
actually refers to aspecific
form of medicine that most
experts consider unscientific. Homeopathic remedies are chemically inert sugar
pills ; they contain no pharmacologically active compounds and are chemically
identical to placebos. Nevertheless, many couples claim success using these little
lactose tablets as infertility treatments.
3. Acupuncture
Who would have thought of putting needles into your skin to trigger ovulation? Acupuncture, an ancient form of medicine originating in China, involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine claim that this opens up the flow of qi, or life energy, thereby enabling conception. Oddly enough, this strange infertility treatment just might work: modern scientific investigations support the use of acupuncture in many clinical capacities, including infertility treatment.
4. Massage
Who would have thought of putting needles into your skin to trigger ovulation? Acupuncture, an ancient form of medicine originating in China, involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine claim that this opens up the flow of qi, or life energy, thereby enabling conception. Oddly enough, this strange infertility treatment just might work: modern scientific investigations support the use of acupuncture in many clinical capacities, including infertility treatment.
4. Massage
Any excuse for a massage is a good
excuse. Why not give it a try as a treatment for infertility? Massage may seem
like an odd solution, but it actually helps to facilitate emotional relaxation,
stabilize hormones and improve blood flow to the reproductive organs. Women
with blocked fallopian tubes and emotional disturbances are particularly
likely to benefit
from the use of therapeutic massage.
5. Prayer
Prayer itself certainly isn't silly
or crazy-- the majority of people engage in it at some point or another.
However, most people do not regard it as an effective form of clinical
medicine, and wouldn't depend on it alone as a treatment for clinical
infertility. A comprehensive review of faith healing found that prayer, while
effective for easing mental and emotional states, usually has no effect on
physical health-- except as a treatment for infertility. Women who pray are
more likely to get pregnant and stay pregnant while undergoing clinical
treatments for infertility.
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