The journey to parenthood is not an easy journey for some. Infertility is an isolating, fearful, and a lonely journey of unknowns for couples. Infertility does not need to be an all or nothing conversation. Your struggles are part of your story and you are not alone. Difficulties with fertility is far more common than you might think. Infertility is on the rise, affecting almost one in six couples around the world. In Canada today, approximately 15.4% of couples are experiencing infertility, an increase of 10% since 1984. Studies show that amongst infertile couples, infertility is related to both male and females equally, where 20% of the couples show infertility as a results of both partners combined.
Infertility Defined
Infertility is defined by the inability to conceive after having regular sexual intercourse without conception after one year for women under the age of 35, or after 6 months for those women over the age of 35. Of course we are familiar with age being a cause of infertility, but there are a number of other factors that hinder the pregnancy process for couples. To make things even more complicated, despite the bests efforts of the medical community, investigations are not always able to find the reason for the inability to conceive.
Causes of Infertility
Female infertility may be caused by a number of conditions, including: ovulation disorders like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), damage to the fallopian tubes, endometriosis or fibroids, hormonal imbalances, problems associated with the uterus or the cervix, polyps, infection, scar tissue and adhesions, lymphatic congestion, stress induced issues, weight anomalies and unexplained infertility. In cases where the origin of infertility is male related, causes, include: abnormal sperm production or function, genetic defects, health concerns such as infection, tumors or diabetes, varicocele (enlarged veins in the testes), ejaculation issues, hormone imbalances, or defects in tubules that transport sperm.
Stress, the Musculoskeletal System and Infertility
Stress negatively impacting our health is not a new topic of conversation but it is worth taking a closer look just how stress impacts fertility amongst couples. When we are stressed, a cascade of hormonal responses is triggered causing our bodies to react in a negative manner. For those trying to get pregnant this stress response may in fact be inhibiting their capacity to conceive. In previous blogs we have spoken about the impact of the sympathetic nervous system on our body – imagine this, you and your husband have been trying to get pregnant for months, with the arrival of each menses you get more and more disappointed and stressed about whether or not you are able to conceive. The stress continues to build every month that goes by, with more and more worry, pressure, loneliness and heartbreak. Your sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear, a hormonal imbalance occurs, your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure increases and you store unwanted tension and tightness in your body.
Muscles tense with the fluctuations of breathing and blood flow, often leading to adaptive postural misalignments in your neck, spine, sacrum and pelvis. Eventually your body is unable to maintain homeostasis and global systematic disruption occurs.
Pelvic misalignment, poor posture and even stored trauma in the body can greatly impact the autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves), specifically those that exit at the low-mid back and pelvic region. Imagine how this could negatively impact the delivery of essential reproductive hormones, its impact on overall hormonal balance and its subsequent effect on conception. In addition, muscular/fascial adhesions and sacral/pelvic misalignment will greatly impact the mobility of the reproductive organs, including; the uterus, ovaries, the fallopian tubes, testicles, seminiferous tubules, the epididymis and the vas deferens.
Treatment for Infertility
The traditional treatment options for infertility vary depending on the cause and may include fertility drugs, IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), in vitro fertilization (IVF). These treatments, although available, do come with some inherent long and short term risk factors, such as, infection, high level of invasiveness, and a greater rate of multiply pregnancies. In addition, they tend to be very expensive and often are not covered under medical plans.
Acupuncture for both male and female infertility may also be effective. Much like Osteopathic Manual Therapy, acupuncture tends to address the underlying health concern(s) that may be negatively impacting fertility. In addition, eliminating toxins that may be contributing to hormonal imbalances and/or sperm production, as well as, as an improved diet, supplementation and an exercise program have also been shown to be beneficial.
How Osteopathy can help with Infertility
Every case of infertility presents uniquely for each couple, calling for a variety of treatment approaches in order to re-establish global health and vitality of the entire body. Ananta’s Osteopathic Practitioners will obtain a detailed history, as well as, perform a thorough evaluation of the entire body and its systems to determine an appropriate and specific treatment plan to support fertility. Manual osteopathy treats the body as an entire interconnected system, improving motility within each system by removing any obstacles and restoring optimal function.
One of the basic principles in the osteopathy is that ones’ structure governs its function and vice versa. As an Osteopathic Manual Therapist I am interested in the fertility issues that may be related to: pelvic region dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, emotional stress/trauma, poor or faulty body mechanics and posture, and possible misalignments of body organs that could lead to abnormal blood flow, lymphatic drainage and nerve function. All of which are extremely important for optimal reproductive function for both men and woman.
Osteopathic manual therapy techniques, for both male and females, may include spinal and pelvic mobilization, visceral manipulation, treating the cranio-sacral unit involving the brain and the spinal cord, decongestion of the lymphatic system, as well as, treatment of the psycho-neuro-endocrino-immunology units. A woman’s pelvis is often congested and/or adhered, thus interfering with normal lymphatic drainage and vascularization to and away from the region. Osteopathic treatments can release compressed lymph nodes, arteries and veins, as well as any fibrosis and/or tissue adhesions that disrupt optimal irrigation of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, endometrium, the testes, seminiferous tubules, epididymis and vas deferens. Osteopathic Manual Therapy can help improve and lower an overactive sympathetic system, release emotional stress/trauma and realign the body to an improved functional state, thus creating an optimal environment for conception.
We must recognize the complexity of life and appreciate that there may not be just one solution for one couple. Osteopathic Manual Therapy can be a great complement for any assisted fertility treatment, such as, acupuncture, hormone therapy, intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization, optimizing the possibility for success.
“Infertility is a loss. It is the loss of a dream, a future different than hoped. It’s living with empty arms and an aching heart.” We appreciate that there is no solution for some couples and for those, we feel you. It can be a long and lonely journey for most but know that infertility does not define you and you are not alone. If you have any questions or would like to know more information, please do not hesitate to reach out or share your comments below.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks