Dear Doctor I am being treated for infertility and would like to maximise my chances of the treatment working. Are there any proven alternative therapies

While complementary therapies are not necessarily a cure for infertility, they can help encourage conception by bringing the body back into balance.

This is especially relevant now with people working harder and becoming more stressed.

A healthy lifestyle and diet can play a big part. A diet rich in organic fruit and vegetables, yoghurts, lean meat and olive oil is best.

Avoid alcohol, smoking and too much caffeine.

Men should increase their zinc intake, as it helps create healthy sperm.

I read that acupuncture can help. Is this safe to use while having IVF?

Yes, that is true. Acupuncture has been shown to improve pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF.

Acupuncture can work when a functional problem is the cause of infertility such as hormonal imbalances, endometriosis, or ovulatory problems.

Men can also use acupuncture to treat erectile dysfunction or low sperm count.

Acupuncture has not proven effective when structural problems such as a blocked fallopian tube, fibroid or malformed testes cause infertility.

How does it all work, and how many sessions of acupuncture will I need?

We are not entirely clear how acupuncture improves pregnancy rates.

However, it is believed that it helps reduce stress hormones that interfere with ovulation.

Acupuncture can increase the production of endorphins, the body's natural "feel-good" brain chemical that also plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle.

It also appears to have a neuroendocrine effect, impacting a three-way-axis between two areas of the brain involved in hormone production (the hypothalamus and pituitary glands) and the ovaries.

It is thought acupuncture increases blood flow to areas that need it, especially to the uterus, so that the chances of implantation of the egg increase.

Improving blood flow to the ovaries can also directly impact the number of egg follicles available for fertilisation.

Most experts say you will need about two, 30-minute treatments a week initially, then usually monthly just before ovulation -- sometimes for months.

I have a fear of needles. Does it hurt?

No, acupuncture should never hurt. The needles used are ultra-thin, (between 0.25-0.30mm in diameter, and 30-50mm in length.

Usually people describe feeling a slight pinch, followed by a "qi" sensation or feeling of warmth. The needles are disposed of afterwards.

Although acupuncture works in harmony with Chinese herbal medicine, you should avoid taking Chinese herbs if you're also taking prescribed medication for infertility.

- Niamh Houston