Traditional
Chinese Medicine Helps Resolve Infertility
Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) employs a broad spectrum of treatment modalities
including herbs, acupuncture, bodywork, and dietary and lifestyle adjustments.
One of least commonly advertised uses of TCM is in the field of infertility.
Successful treatment of infertility dates back in China to the Sui Dynasty (589
CE). Chinese medicine provides a noninvasive, holistic approach to reversing
infertility and has a surprising success rate of sixty percent among infertile
women; a very high number, considering that many women discover TCM late in
their search for infertility solutions.
Traditional
Chinese medicine treats infertility using a combination of specific herbs and
the stimulation of acupuncture points to strengthen and regulate organ
functions, primarily the production of hormones, an essential component to
fertility.
In addition, by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, Chinese
herbs and acupuncture serve the fertility process by restoring a deep relaxation
in the mind and body.
Patterns
of Organ Disharmony
From
the perspective of TCM, infertility is caused by patterns of disharmony in organ
systems such as the liver, heart, spleen and kidneys.
The TCM patterns of disharmony such as blood stagnation, cold entrapment,
phlegm accumulation, excess heat, and so on, play important roles
in blocking fertility.
In the vernacular of western medicine, these pathologies are known as
hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction (anovulation), polycystic ovarian syndrome,
luteal phase defect, and other syndromes and conditions that can make it
difficult or impossible to conceive.
However, the key factor in treating infertility with TCM lies in
regulating the menstrual cycle by re-establishing harmonious communication among
the endocrine glands.
The
Growing Popularity of TCM
As
many recent newspaper and magazine stories demonstrate, TCM has become
increasingly popular in recent years as more and more women are waiting until
they are in their mid-thirties and older to start a family.
It is undisputed that women starting their families later in life have
more difficulty becoming pregnant, and many couples spend up to $50,000 on
attempting to conceive – with no guarantee of success.
TCM offers rate of success for far less money; prices range from $50 to
$70 per session for acupuncture plus the cost of herbs.
A routine treatment program consists of two acupuncture treatments each
week, and many women become pregnant six months to a year after beginning
treatment.
Once pregnant, it is usually recommended that acupuncture be maintained
once a week, and herbal therapy is usually recommended through the first
trimester.
Acupuncture
Used in Successful Artificial Insemination
Acupuncture
has also been used as a successful adjunct to artificial insemination.
In a study conducted in Germany at the Christian Lauritzen Institute in
Ulm, acupuncture was used 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer, with
needles placed in the stomach and colon meridians, as well as the ear meridians,
to try to increase blood flow into the uterus and reduce uterine contractions.
The results were indisputable. In the control group, 26% became pregnant; in the
IVF-plus-acupuncture group 43% became pregnant.
If
you are looking for a cost-effective way to improve your chances of a successful
pregnancy, call Dasha Trebichavska, M.S., L.Ac. at 415-420-3750
Go
to other websites to learn about infertility.
