If you've been trying to conceive for a long time, you've probably undergone enough medical procedures to make you feel like a human pincushion. So is there anything you can do to restore your fertility that doesn't involve getting stuck with some kind of needle? Consider exploring one of these hands-on approaches to healing to help with infertility.

The Wurn Technique
If you've suffered from endometriosis or had laparoscopic surgery for fibroids, and are having trouble conceiving, the Wurn Technique could help you. As endometriosis and fibroids heal, they may leave behind scar tissue, or adhesions, made out of connective fibers, such as collagen. These adhesions can block fallopian tubes, causing infertility and often pain. The Wurn technique uses massage to gently stretch, and apply pressure to the affected areas with the goal of breaking down these connective tissues.

The aim of this technique is to release tension in the connective tissues in order to reduce pain and aid mobility. However, the side benefit of breaking down the adhesions can often be an opening up of the fallopian tubes, allowing ovulation to restart and restoring fertility.

In two medical studies, researchers have shown the Wurn Technique to be extremely effective. The first study, published in Medscape General Medicine, Ob/Gyn & Women's Health, found that previously infertile women who underwent IVF after receiving treatment using the Wurn Technique had a pregnancy rate of 67%, compared with the national IVF conception average of 41%. Another related study reported that 71% of the previously infertile women who participated conceived naturally after undergoing the treatment.

Good candidates for treatment using the Wurn technique are women who have undergone radiation therapy, trauma, abuse, one or more, surgeries (i.e. Cesarean Section or laparoscopy), or who have had a history of pelvic or abdominal infections (i.e. yeast or bladder infection, endometriosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease).

Reiki
Reiki is a technique that promotes healing, and aids in relaxation and stress reduction. Developed in Japan, Reiki is meant to manipulate the energy, or "life force" that flows through all living things. This is done through a laying on of hands and makes use of the mind/body connection. There has not been any studies conducted on the effectiveness of Reiki as an infertility treatment, but some women claim that it has worked for them. The good news is that there is no known risk involved in receiving Reiki treatment, and while it might not help with fertility, it is a good stress reduction technique.

Reflexology
Also known as "zone therapy," reflexology is an ancient healing technique that involves massaging parts of the hands and feet that correspond with the parts of the body being treated. Reflexology is a complimentary therapy, meaning it should only be used in conjunction with other treatments, but it has shown to be effective in treating infertility. In a study of reflexology’s effectiveness as an infertility treatment, 61 women who had been trying to get pregnant for a minimum of two years were given sixteen 45-minute treatments over an eight-month period. Of the study participants, nine became pregnant within six months and of the women who had been experiencing irregular menstruation, 77% had either completely regulated or experienced an appreciable improvement in their symptoms.