How to Use Holistic Medicine to Treat Infertility

Holistic medicine aims to treat not just your body, but also your mind and soul. It takes into consideration not just a condition, but your daily environment and surroundings, as well. Holistic infertility treatments are largely noninvasive. Treatments focus on diet, exercise, lifestyle, physical therapy and counseling. It's believed these techniques can help infertility, which is defined as not being able to conceive after a year of unprotected sex as well as having a sperm count totaling under 5 million. Follow these steps to learn how holistic medicine can treat infertility.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Health practitioner
• Financial means for treatments
• Computer for Internet access

Address Your Lifestyle

1. Relax. Stress hinders fertility. Keep a journal where you record all your stressful thoughts. Try to let them go after you write them down. Talk about any worries you have, either with your partner or a friend or family member.
2. Use acupuncture to help balance your body's energy and find harmony within your reproductive and other internal organs. Find a local practitioner using Acufinder.com (see Resources below).
3. Use some form of exercise to relieve stress. A good choice is a low-impact exercise like yoga or tai chi, which can help relax your mind as well as your body. Learn more about tai chi from MayoClinic.com (see Resources below).
4. Believe in the power of positive thinking. Instead of dwelling on the roadblocks, make plans to combat them.

Treat Infertility in Men

5. Avoid eating processed foods and foods with fatty animal products.
6. Eliminate foods that contain estrogen. Hormone-fed cows tend to produce dairy products containing this hormone.
7. Eat a diet high in fiber with fresh vegetables and legumes, like beans and peas.
8. Take dietary supplements. Vitamins C and E, zinc, selenium, carnitine and beta carotene have all been linked to increased fertility.
9. Wear loose fitting underwear made from breathable fabric, like cotton. Stay away from synthetic materials.
10. Avoid hot tubs or whirlpool baths at high temperatures.
11. Eliminate cigarette smoke and contact with heavy metals like mercury or lead.

Treat Infertility in Women

12. Check your weight. Weighing too much or too little can have an effect on fertility.
13. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
14. Incorporate folic acid and vitamins B12 and B6 into your diet. Use supplements if you can't get the recommended daily amounts from the food you eat.
15. Avoid contact with metals such as mercury and lead, which affect sex hormones.

Tips & Warnings

• The cost to treat infertility using holistic medicine is moderate.
• Some herbal supplements can have dangerous reactions when combined with prescription medicine. If you experience any violent reaction, including rashes, vomiting or trouble breathing, go directly to an emergency room.