Increasing Fertility with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used for thousands of years as an aid to fertility. Its techniques are able to regulate the cycle, invigorate sperm, and enhance the general health of the body. This is especially important for couples approaching 40 as stimulating general health can have a profound effect on the reproductive system.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic form of treatment. It treats the whole of the person - body, mind and spirit – not just the presenting signs and symptoms. By stimulating the body’s own natural healing system it treats the imbalances underlying physical problems. It treats people as individuals and gives them support that is necessary for them, not some generalized form of treatment that suits only some people.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used to promote natural fertility in those struggling to fall pregnant naturally. It can also strengthen and balance the system for those undergoing Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) , and be effective in offsetting the unwanted side effects and toxicity of invasive procedures and drug therapy.
By balancing and strengthening one’s general health, acupuncture and herbal medicine make pregnancy easier to achieve and maintain.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Western Medical Approach
The theories of both Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Western medical model contribute to our understanding of the menstrual cycle and reproduction. Western medicine describes physiological processes in the body in terms of biomechanical changes, whilst Traditional Chinese Medicine describes the same processes in energetic terms. Combining the two approaches produces a deeper understanding of the reproductive process.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used to
• improve gamete quality
• improve blood flow to the uterus
• reduce stress of the partcipants
• regulate hormone levels
• strengthen the immune system
• reduce the unwanted side effects of drugs
To read about how previous clients have felt I have helped them, click on the Testimonials button above.
Recommended Timescales for Treatment
The number of treatments you require will depend on many factors including upon your age and your diagnosis. Generally, a minimum of three cycles’ treatment is required to produce a change in the cycle or fertility levels.
If a woman is nearing 40 years or has major complications such as PCOS or endometriosis, treatments will take six or more cycles to show any major change. This does not necessarily mean that treatment needs to take place every week, just that deep-rooted problems take much longer to treat.
It is always difficult explaining what an acupuncturist-herbalist does, as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complex subject, with minimum acupuncture and herbal qualifications taking 4,800 hours of study. However, I am presenting two simplified cases below from my files to show how treatment works:
Case Study 1
Mrs. A (35) had been pregnant twice, but had miscarried both times. The miscarriages had drained her and she felt exhausted. Her periods had always been slightly erratic, with heavy bleeds lasting seven days and containing large clots. Already considering IVF, her consultant had told her that her uterine lining was too thin to successfully carry a child naturally.
The other important signs and symptoms in her case were
• poor temperature control, with a tendency to sweat in bed at night
• poor energy first thing in the morning
• frequent urination
• vivid dreams
• her tongue was pale, swollen, wet, and quivered
• her pulse was generally strong but weak in the Kidney pulse, especially Kidney Yin
Chinese medicine looks at the whole person to deduce what is happening. In Mrs. A’s case, we can put her signs and symptoms together in the following way:
• poor temperature control with a tendency to heat at night, poor energy first thing in the morning, frequent urination, a pale swollen and wet tongue and a weak Kidney pulse implied Kidney Yin and Yang Xu (deficiency). The Kidneys are seen to play a crucial part in fertility in TCM; the role they play in the water metabolism is seen to be essential to all bodily functions
• vivid dreams, pale tongue, heavy menstrual bleed and a thin endometrial lining indicated Blood Xu (deficiency)
• a swollen, wet, quivering tongue, heavy bleed and recurrent miscarriage suggested that she also has Spleen Qi (energy) Xu which was impairing the production of Blood
As her case was quite complex, it was decided to use a mixture of acupuncture and herbal medicine. Mrs. A came for acupuncture every two weeks and took herbal granules made up into vegi-capsules twice a day. The formula used was a variation on the traditional formula Yu Lin Zhu (Fertility Pearl) which was altered to fit her exact diagnosis. Yu Lin Zhu strengthens the Kidneys, nourishes Blood, regulates the deep pathways of energy that penetrate the uterus, and promotes the smooth flow of Qi; extra herbs were added in this case to ensure the strong upwards flow of Spleen Qi necessary to prevent miscarriage.
After three cycles, Mrs A fell pregnant. Because of her previous miscarriages, she was scanned early and found to have a very full and rich endometrium, and gave birth to a baby daughter later that year. Sixteenth months later she fell pregnant naturally with her second daughter.
Case Study 2
Mrs. B (32) had fallen pregnant quite easily with her first child but was experiencing difficulty conceiving again. Her cycle had returned after 4 months and was regular, but had become heavier and each bleed was preceded by pronounced pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) that included several days of spotting, backache, tearfulness and acne on her chin. A little impatient generally, her inability to fall pregnant again was frustrating her and making her snappy.
Her health generally was good. The other important signs and symptoms in her case were
• she felt cold generally
• she slept poorly, frequently had crazy and stressful dreams, and experienced bouts of insomnia
• her tongue was pale, with slightly shiny sides
• her pulse was weak and thready
Chinese medicine looks at the whole person to deduce what is happening. In this case, Mrs. B’s health was generally good, although two slight imbalances were obvious
• feeling cold, light sleep with excessive dreaming, a pale tongue and a thready pulse all implied Blood Xu (deficiency)
• the hesitant start to her cycle, frustration/ PMS tearfulness all imply a degree of Qi stagnation; unable to flow smoothly, Qi stagnation was leading to stop-start symptoms with the feeling of being a pressure-cooker ready to blow
Moreover, the stagnation in her Qi, akin to a motor left running without movement, was producing Heat which was rising in the Chong vessel (a deep internal pathway related to the uterus, Blood and reproduction) to produce acne around her chin.
Mrs. B’s diagnosis was Blood Xu (deficiency), Qi stagnation, and Heat rising in Chong. The treatment principle was to course (un-stagnate) Qi and nourish Blood. Combined together, these two actions would regulate Chong and clear Heat.
As this case was relatively simple, acupuncture alone was chosen, with treatment given after the bleed to nourish Blood and before the spotting to encourage the smooth flow of Qi.
Mrs. B noticed immediately that the treatment made her feel calmer and ‘able to let go of things’, and the spots on her chin disappeared. Within six weeks she was pregnant with her second child, and had a boy.
acupuncture and herbs will enable you to fall pregnant.
