Female Fertility

 

 

Disorders of the reproductive and endocrine systems are common causes of female infertility. These disorders can be either structural or dysfunctional. In my practice over the last decade, I have helped more and more women with infertility conceived their babies by using acupuncture and Chinese medicine to improve their functional disorders, or even cure their organic diseases. I realized that it is a right treatment method to use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine based on integrated theories from traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine for treating female infertility caused by reproductive and endocrine disorders.

 

A female starts a normal menstrual circle when her sexual harmony and reproductive function have been matured around twelve years old. Under the effects of relevant hormones, such as Luteotropic hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), gonadotropic hormone that are produced by the pituitary and Hypothalamus, a follicle develops mature and releases from her ovary every month, which moves to the uterus through a fallopian tube. If it is fertilized with a vital sperm to make a fertilized egg and implant into the endometrium of the uterus, a normal pregnancy will result. If it hasn’t met a vital sperm, it will flow out with some pieces of endometrial tissue as menstruation.

 

In the West, there are increased incidences of infertility, which are caused by various reproductive and endocrine disorders. The common reasons of infertility include:

 

1.   Long-term stress/depression affecting the ovarian function to cause ovarian mal-development, or early failure.

2.   Excessive physical work or training during puberty causes maldevelopment in the ovaries or uterus resulting in menoxenia.

3.   Excessive use of the contraceptive pill causes imbalance of Estrogen & Progesterone causing their ovarian activity decreased.

4.  Marriage or pregnancy in later ages.

5.  Taking drugs, or excessive alcohol intake

 

Methods of inducing artificial ovarian cycle by acupuncture & herbal medicines

 

1. In the first week: Strengthen kidney and spleen, which are pre-heaven and post-heaven organs to promote follicle growth. TCM recognizes that the kidney is an initial source to produce the original and reproductive Qi. The spleen is an important organ to continuously supply Qi & blood. Therefore, treatment should be focused on strengthening kidney and spleen in the first stage of the menstrual cycle.

2. In the second week: Nourish Yin and culture essence, move stagnated Qi & blood stasis. Nourish kidney Yin to produce essence for strengthening maturing follicles; move stagnant blood to detach the matured egg from the ovary

3. In the third week: Warm Yang and nourish Yin to promote progesterone growth, Strengthening Yang in the kidney meridian warms Qi & blood to remove their stagnations in ovaries and uterus, which agitates progesterone.

4. In the fourth week: Spread liver Qi and blood to regulate menstruation; or strengthen spleen and kidney to protect foetus when pregnant.

a) When the woman is in the last week before her menstruation, she easily presents with liver Qi stagnation leading to blood stasis, which can cause dysmenorrhoea. Therefore, it is a necessary treating principle to move stagnated Qi and stasis of blood to release dysmenorrhoea.

b) If fertilized, the woman becomes pregnant. However, if she still possesses a deficiency of Qi and blood, she could easily present a miscarriage. Therefore, if a woman who has a miscarriage history, or has some symptoms and signs of Qi and Blood deficiency, continuing tonification in this stage to prevent miscarriage.

 

Fundamental theory and technique of Acupuncture:

 

1. Stimulate and strengthen the self-regulating functions: Acupuncture is good at stimulating the self-regulating function inside of the body to balance the hormonal disorder. For some women present with unexplained infertility, which may be caused by taking contraceptive pills for a long time. Due to excessive intake of artificial Estrogen, the vitality of progesterone in their body has been decreased, or the proportion of these hormones is out of balance. Therefore, they present with infertility, but no any structural abnormality can be detected, so unexplained infertility is diagnosed.

2. Promote ovulation:  this has been proven by some research.

3. Strengthen self-healing function: Acupuncture will strengthen the self-healing function of endometria to improve the condition of the uterus. For some women with endometriosis may have some damages to their endometrium of uterus from excessive endometrial tissues displacement. Endometria become unsmooth, so it is hard for the fertilized egg to implant.

 

Your Treatment Program will utilize customized acupuncture, nutritional counseling and  Chinese herbal medicine treatments. Integrating both will make the treatment fulfill the purpose expected for the individual patients. Some patient can be done acupuncture for over a year who feels better, but can’t been conceived, because she has been this treatment which is right, but not stronger enough

 

The reproductive and fertility benefits that you may achieve include:

 

Regulating hormone levels and proper ovulation

Support of healthy and timely ovulation

Increase and improve ovarian function, producing healthier eggs

Thicken insufficient uterine lining and increase local blood circulation to the ovaries and uterus

Support of proper hormonal balance and Progesterone levels in luteal phase defects

Increase pregnancy rates in women with PCOS

Increase pregnancy rates in women with fallopian tube obstruction

Strengthen and balance the immune system

Reduce stress and enhance overall state of well-being

 

Timing of fertility treatments for women

 

Treatments for improving fertility should be aiming at three to six full menstrual cycles. If a patient does not have regular period patterns or has complications such as a high FSH (follicular stimulating hormone) level and irregular ovulation, PCOS and endometriosis, the patient will usually need to have more regular treatment sessions. Fertility treatment in my practice is often carried out in a combination of three to four acupuncture sessions a month together with Chinese herbs to optimize the effectiveness of the overall fertility treatment.

 

Fertility treatment for women using TCM is usually divided into four phases with a different emphasis on each stage (based on a 28 day cycle):

 

• period (from Day 1 - Day 4): to help the menstrual flow and to encourage the complete discharge of menstrual blood so that a new endometrium can grow evenly on a smooth base
• post-period (Day 5 - Day 12): to build up blood and essence, Nourish kidney Yin to produce essence for strengthening maturing follicles, move stagnant blood to detach the matured egg from the ovary.
• ovulation (Day 12 - Day 16): to promote the movement of qi (vital energy) & blood in the uterus for effective ovulation
• post-ovulation (Day 17 - Day 28): to maintain healthy levels of progesterone and warmth in the uterus

 

I will help you:

 

I will treat you based on your phase in your menstrual cycles, with specific acupuncture points and Chinese Medicine formulas, following 4 phases treatment protocols.

 

Treatment length: depends on your hormone level, it varies from 3 months to 24 months. Treatment will suspend after 24 month.

 

Why choose Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture?

 

Safe Intervention – With almost all Acupuncture and TCM treatment protocols there should be no adverse side effects with treatment. Acupuncture is excellent for engendering reproductive health and bringing the body back into a natural balance and rhythm. In acupuncture treatments needles are commonly placed in the hands, feet, limbs, back, and abdomen. Needles are never used directly on reproductive organs.

 

Herbal Medicine – Continued use of Herbal Medicine supports the body’s organs and resources, with a strong emphasis on the reproductive system, as well as clearing blockages and restoring normal movements of blood and vitality.

 

Increased fertility – Working closely with the feminine cycle is integral to reproductive health. Treatment often follows the cycle and corrects any abnormalities to do with timing or function. Stimulating follicular growth and improving ovulation quality ensures adequate hormonal secretion by the corpus luteum, which will help to increase fertility levels and prevent miscarriage.

 

Emotion – Depression, anxiety, and other emotional extremes can directly impact reproductive health, especially with regards to fertility itself. Treatment strategies often have solutions to these issues within them in order to be more effective.

 

Couples – Working with both partners is often essential to produce the best results. Each partner can be given the exact amount of assistance needed for their circumstance and the wellbeing of the partnership.

 

Diet and Lifestyle – To help to clear up and prevent pathological conditions such as dampness and heat in the digestive system and lower abdomen, and to maintain optimal sexual health, any aspect of your life may need to be addressed.

 

Individual treatment – Like no two women are the same, no two treatment protocols are the same for female fertility. Every woman is different, and so no two treatment protocols will be the same. Acupuncture and TCM are specifically tailored to each individual and exactly what they need both initially and as treatment continues and conditions change.

Female Fertility Test Explained