DURHAM, N.C. -- A new program from Duke Medicine is offering couples struggling to conceive help through the ancient art of acupuncture.

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Related Link: Duke Fertility Center
Web Extra: Acupuncturist Katherine Rowe explains the ancient art of acupuncture

 

Infertility affects an estimated 4.5 million U.S. couples each year. For many of them, the struggle to conceive and the treatments they undergo can put them on an emotional roller coaster.  

 

Kim Fama is just weeks away from the birth of her second child. But this time last year, she was struggling with the difficult issue of infertility.     After two years of trying to conceive, she and her husband decided to go to the Duke Fertility Center for treatment. But they were looking for more than traditional medicine.

 

“Duke was one of the only facilities we found out about that offered the acupuncture services onsite versus just seeking it on your own,” said Fama. “It was just a way for me to sort of get some balance with my mind and body prior to the treatments and the hormone therapy.”

 

Acupuncture is commonly used to enhance fertility because it is believed to enhance blood flow to reproductive organs. But at Duke, doctors are incorporating it as a stress reducer. 

 

“We really appreciate that as people go through fertility treatments, it is a very stressful experience,” said Julia Woodward, Ph.D., director of Psychological Services at Duke Fertility Center. “Not only is it physically demanding, but it can have impacts on a patient’s marriage, on their finances, and on their emotional well-being.” 

 

For working mom Fama, continuing acupuncture through her pregnancy has offered a much-needed break that she plans to continue after the birth of her son.