How osteopathy and acupuncture can support fertility journeys

A guest blog authored by Sarah Balogun

Hormonal imbalances are often overlooked as a common factor that affects fertility. Our hormones act as messengers to regulate menstruation and ovulation. When our hormones are out of balance, it can lead to symptoms such as irregular cycles, painful periods, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Endometriosis, fibroids, difficulty conceiving and many other issues. While the Western medical approach often focuses on managing symptoms through interventions like birth control, many women are now seeking alternative and holistic approaches to address the root cause of their hormone imbalances and support their conception journey.

The medicalised approach to fertility

In today’s approach to Western medicine, many women find themselves navigating a medicalised route to conception through IVF, hormone therapies and other assisted reproductive technologies. This process is often described as overwhelming, exhausting, and invasive. While these interventions can lead to life-changing outcomes for some women, they don’t always work for everyone.

Holistic therapies such as osteopathy and acupuncture offer a gentler and more integrative approach. They are not replacements for IVF or medical interventions, but instead can complement both natural and assisted fertility journeys. These approaches focus on the whole person, not just the reproductive organs, and support your nervous system, circulation, and hormones so your body can do what it’s naturally designed to do.

Some of the main causes of infertility include:

• Conditions associated with hormonal imbalance issues such as: Endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids and Adenomyosis.
• Male factor infertility including poor sperm health.
• Underlying microbial imbalances in the endometrium and vaginal organs which cause localised inflammation. Associated conditions include Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and Bacterial Vaginosis (BV).
• Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune disorders.
• Physical barriers such as fibroids, scarring or uterine abnormalities.

Signs and symptoms often overlooked that affect fertility:

• Stress
• Poor diet and lifestyle
• Recurrent vaginal infections – changes in vaginal pH can affect cervical mucus and sperm survival
• Chronic Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) – suggest an imbalanced urogenital microbiome 
• Irregular periods, spotting, painful periods etc – ovulation becomes unpredictable if not tracked properly
• Luteal phase issues – if the luteal phase is shorter than 12 days, it can make it difficult to conceive

How osteopathy and acupuncture support fertility naturopathic osteopathy

Naturopathic osteopathy works as a hands-on and lifestyle-based approach to facilitate the body’s natural ability to heal. It focuses on the whole person and includes support with diet, movement, structural alignment, and nervous system regulation.

In the context of fertility, osteopathy helps by:

• Improving pelvic alignment
• Releasing tension
• Increasing blood flow and lymphatic circulation
• Reducing adhesions around pelvic organs
• Calming the nervous system

It has been shown to improve menstrual pain, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, and overall quality of life.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), involves the use of fine needles inserted into specific meridian pathways to balance energy within the body and create a desired effect. Modern research shows that acupuncture can influence and improve the function of the ovaries.

Studies have found that it can help:

• Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian (HPO) axis - the system that governs the menstrual cycle and ovulation
• Regulate the menstrual cycle
• Improve ovulation and egg quality
• Reduce stress
• Enhance blood flow to the uterus

My client case study: balancing hormones and reducing painful endometriosis

Client X, a 30-year-old female, presented with endometriosis causing debilitating pain, irregular cycles, and large clots. I treated her for four months and looked at multiple aspects of her life that could be contributing to her symptoms, such as high stress levels, an inadequate diet to support hormones, lack of exercise, and general tightness around the hips and pelvic region.

We combined acupuncture with osteopathic approaches such as craniosacral therapy, joint mobilisation, visceral manipulation, and soft tissue therapy. Some sessions were acupuncture-only, depending on where she was in her cycle.

After 4 months:

• Her period pain gradually decreased from 10/10 to 5/10
• Her cycles shortened from 30–39 days to 30–34 days
• Her clotting reduced in size from 6–7 cm to 3–4 cm
• Her stress levels decreased significantly
• She also noticed improvements in her skin, particularly her acne

Final thoughts

Based on both research and clinical observation, acupuncture and osteopathy combined work as a powerful approach to improve symptoms of menstrual irregularities, regulate the menstrual cycle and ovulation, reduce stress, and therefore increase the chances of conception. Holistic therapies can provide meaningful, interconnected whole-body support during the journey to conception.

Sarah Balogun is a fertility osteopath and acupuncturist at Oshun Osteopathy & Acupuncture in Islington, London. For more information visit https://www.oshunosteopathy.com

References

Huang DM, Huang GY, Lu FE, Stefan D, Andreas N, Robert G. Acupuncture for infertility: is it an effective therapy? Chin J Integr Med. 2011 May;17(5):386-95. doi: 10.1007/s11655-011-0611-8.

Goyal K, Goyal M, Narkeesh K, John Samuel A, Sharma S, Chatterjee S, Arumugam N. The effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment in an abnormal uterine bleeding related pain and health related quality of life (HR-QoL) - A case report. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2017 Jul;21(3):569-573. doi: 10.1016/ j.jbmt.2016.08.010. Epub 2016 Aug 29. PMID: 28750966.

Zheng CH, Huang GY, Zhang MM, Wang W. Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2012 Mar;97(3):599-611. doi: 10.1016/ j.fertnstert.2011.12.007. Epub 2012 Jan 11. Erratum in: Fertil Steril. 2012 Apr;97(4):1017. PMID: 22243605.

Kramp ME. Combined manual therapy techniques for the treatment of women with infertility: a case series. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2012 Oct;112(10):680-4. PMID: 23055467.

Zheng CH, Huang GY, Zhang MM, Wang W. Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2012 Mar;97(3):599-611. doi: 10.1016/ j.fertnstert.2011.12.007. Epub 2012 Jan 11. Erratum in: Fertil Steril. 2012 Apr;97(4):1017. PMID: 22243605.

Quan K, Yu C, Wen X, Lin Q, Wang N, Ma H. Acupuncture as Treatment for Female Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Feb 16;2022:3595033. doi: 10.1155/2022/3595033. PMID: 35222669; PMCID: PMC8865966.