By Sheela Szymkowiak, Certified Reflexologist, Pregnancy and Post Partum Doula
Couples who are trying to conceive either naturally or with medical intervention, such as IVF, are discovering that Reflexology offers them many benefits in improving their chances of conceiving.
Take a look at these fertility studies involving Reflexology:
One Danish study enrolled 108 women who had been diagnosed as infertile for at least 2 years and had no previous children. 47 women chose to withdraw; the remaining 61 were given reflexology treatments for 8 months, twice a week and in the second half of the study, two treatments prior to the women’s ovulation. Summary: 9 of the women (15%) became pregnant after 6 months, and all of the other women who had menstrual or ovulation abnormalities, completely recovered from their symptoms. (FDZ Research Committee, Denmark, 1994).
Recently in the UK, the latest research is an ongoing two year clinical trial at the IVF unit at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Certified Reflexologist, Jane Holt, approached the unit after 13 of the 23 women she treated with a range of fertility problems became pregnant. In this new study, 150 volunteers will be offered reflexology rather than the fertility drug Clomifene, which is usually used to induce ovulation. This drug works in about 70 per cent of patients, but the drug’s main drawback is it can increase the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy.
Read more here: “Is Reflexology the New Cure for Infertility?”
How Reflexology can Assist Couples to Conceive
For women, there is a long list of potential roadblocks to conception, including: hormone imbalances, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, fibroids, irregular menstrual cycles, and one of the most common symptoms: chronic stress.
For men, the most common physical conditions that cause infertility are: low sperm count and abnormal sperm production, blockages in sperm ducts and hormonal problems that result in lowered levels of testosterone. Chronic stress is a huge factor.
Reflexology is one of gentlest, most non-invasive and safest alternative therapies to use on a bi-monthly basis for women who are trying to normalize their menstrual cycles and increase their body’s ability to balance hormone production – estrogen (causes ovulation) and progesterone (establishes the pregnancy and promotes its continuation).
Hormones play a key role in fertility and pregnancy and can be affected by stress. During a Reflexology session the person goes into a deeper state of relaxation as their brain and central nervous system are calmed by the release of endorphins, known also as the ‘bliss’ chemicals or ‘morphine’ within.
Reflexology treatments greatly influence the functioning of all the body’s systems during each session causing multiple benefits to occur:
- Restores a woman’s menstruation cycle rhythm allowing for optimal opportunities for pregnancy
- Assists the endocrine system to balance hormone production increasing chances of conception
- Increases blood and lymphatic circulation to the pelvic region and reproductive organs for both men and women
Resources:
Female infertility:
