Fertility

Female Infertility or Sub-fertility

Female infertility in many cases is caused by hormonal imbalance. Though increasing numbers of woman are experiencing difficulty conceiving, and are diagnosed with infertility, many of their conditions are in fact sub-fertility. The hormonal imbalance due to an unhealthy diet, ongoing stress, environmental toxin and long term pharmaceutical birth control practice causes energy imbalance in the female reproductive systems. The common diagnosis of female infertility include endometriosis, PCOS, hypothyroidism, high FSH, poor egg quality, ovarian failure, anovulation, premature menopause, immunological factors, hostile cervical mucous, incompetent cervix, recurrent miscarriage, amenorrhea or unexplained infertility.
Chinese Medicine as functional medicine and energetic medicine has been used to treat female infertility for centuries. It offers a natural approach to correct the hormonal imbalance and strengthen the female reproductive system.

How acupuncture and Chinese Medicine improve Fertility?

Regulates menstrual cycle and ovulation
Improves ovarian function, egg quality, and endometrial development
Regulates reproductive hormones to produce more follicles
Increases blood flow to the uterus, increases the thickness of uterine lining
Prevent uterine contraction post IVF embryo transfer
Prevents early miscarriage
Strengthens the immune system
Reduces physical and emotional stress
Improves sperm count, quality and motility

Male Infertility

Male infertility is estimated to constitute of 40% of all the infertility cases in the United States either as a factor or the factor. Male factor infertility is diagnosed based on values of semen analysis.

Low count : less than 20million/ml. Volume should be 1-5 mL of ejaculate
Low motility: over 60% should be motile and demonstrate forward movement
Poor morphology: more than 50-60% abnormal in form

Male fertility relies on adequate production of spermatozoa by the testes, smooth transit of sperm through the seminal duct, and efficient delivery to the egg. Low sperm production may be caused by environmental toxins, radiation, undescended testis, varicocele, infectious testicular atrophy, prolonged fever, and endocrine disorders that affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Antisperm antibodies may be a factor in some cases. Congenital anomalies and surgical procedures may obstruct the seminal duct. Low sperm counts can be aggravated, if not caused by factors such as tight fitting underwear, environmental toxins, urogenital infections, poor diet, lack of sleep, and over use of alcohol, prescription drugs, ( e.g. anti-hypertensives, anti-inflammatories, anti-histamines) nicotine and marijuana.

From Chinese Medicine perspective, male infertility fall into three differential patterns of organ disharmony,

Deficiency of the Kidneys, which correspondent to sexual dysfunction, impotence, low testosterone, low semen volume, low count, low motility and antoimmunity .

Qi and Blood Stasis, which correspondent to poor morphology, varicocele.

Damp Heat, which correspondent to infections in the pelvic area.

Sperm maturation is a process taking between 70-90 days. Chinese medicine can help male patients improve the quality and quantity of semen, along with healthy diet and life style adaptation. In doing so, the health of the embryo improves which in turn reduces the risk of miscarriage.

Fertility Treatment Program

Jing, Qi, Shen (),

There are 3 Treasures in Chinese Medicine, Jing, Qi and Shen. Jing in Chinee Medicine represents our essence; our genetic makeup. We receive our essence from our parents when we are conceived. Jing is the essence of the sperm and egg that combine to form life. In Chinese medicine, we support and nourish Jing through diet and herbal therapy. Qi is the energy that enlivens and activates the body. In Chinese medicine, we regulate and balance Qi with acupuncture. Shen is our spirit, which resides in our heart. We nourish and calm the Shen with acupuncture, herbal therapy and meditation.

Natural fertility treatment program intends to nourish your body, mind and soul, to restore your natural fertile state and allow full expression of your innate fertile potential through Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Diet, Massage and Meditation.

Treatment for infertility generally ranges between 3-6 months with 1-2 weekly acupuncture sessions. Herbal Medicine is prescribed throughout the cycle. Natural healing takes time and works on all levels of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Correcting the deepest cause of imbalance requires commitment and patience. The more involved you are in the healing process to attain health through diet, attitude and lifestyle changes, the faster you will see the result.

Fertility Acupuncture

Acupuncture for fertility gains its popularity worldwide due to its effectiveness in improving IVF success rates due to recent studies. (click here for more Research on this topic) However, acupuncture’s efficacy in the treatment of natural conception can not be underestimated. By restoring a woman’s own natural hormonal balance and general health, acupuncture can treat infertility alone without the intervention the assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Fertility Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbs for fertility may be the dominant component of any Chinese medicine treatment for infertility. Herbs have been proved for their efficacy in treating gynecological conditions in traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. Fertility Herbs are individually prescribed for each patient according to her conditions and pattern diagnosis.

Herbal medicine is taken three times a day, seven days a week during the treatment period. Based on the progress of the treatment, herbal prescription is modified from time to time. Unlike Western hormonal stimulation, which try to provide chemical substitutes for the body’s natural hormones, Chinese herbs are natural and safe, and designed to help the body produce the proper level of hormones on its own.

Fertility Massage

Fertility massage intends to bring more blood flow to the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. With more blood circulation, comes more nourishment for the follicles and endometrium.

Fertility Diet

Within traditional Chinese medicine, dietary therapy is considered as the foundational component of any treatment. Proper fertility diets tailored to each parents health condition encourage the full expression of potential fertility in each individual. Both egg and sperm are equally important in conception and in the health of a baby. Dietary therapy is an excellent way to support Jing in Chinese medicine.

Fertility Meditation / Yoga

Infertility is a condition that can deeply affect the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being of a patient and at times can be testing to the couple’s relationship. Female fertility is about developing the female principle of yin receptivity, it is about opening and allowing a nurturing female energy to grow within oneself. Meditation and yoga help to restore inner peace and harmony, alleviate stress, support receptivity and yin receiving qualities. By allowing a deeper body, mind and spirit connection, female fertility can be profoundly nurtured and enhanced.

Acupuncture and IVF

The clinical efficacy of acupuncture has been increasingly studied and recognized through many modern researches in the recent years. Many Reproductive Endocrinologists are encouraging their patients to receive acupuncture prior to and post embryo transfer in order to improve the success rate of IVF and other ART procedures. Acupuncture also is valuable to treat the side effects of the artificial hormones during the stimulation cycle.

Preparation For IVF

Chinese Medicine and acupuncture can help to prepare the body in the areas where Western Medicine offers few treatment options. Improving the health of the couple’s gametes prior to IVF can contribute to successful pregnancy and decrease risk for early miscarriage. Ideally, acupuncture treatment should be received three months prior to the beginning of the IVF cycle. For the female patient, treatment is aimed at improving the function of the ovaries, and regulating the hormones. Herbal treatment focuses on improving the egg quality and thickening the uterine lining. Menstrual irregularities, endometriosis, fibroids, and other pre-existing factors can be treated during this time. For male infertility, treatment is aimed at improving sperm count and motility. As with the woman’s eggs, healthier sperm contribute to healthier, more viable embryos.

During IVF cycle

Acupuncture treatment can help to increase the patient’s response to the hormone stimulation.

It helps to support and complement Western treatment at different phases of IVF cycle- down-regulating, ovarian stimulation, ovulation, egg retrieval and embryo transfer, while decreasing the side-effects from the medications. Additionally, acupuncture provides deep relaxation and helps women to ease the physical, mental, and emotional stress when undergoing IVF process.