Chinese Medicine and Infertility
There are a number of causes of infertility for females according to TCM and some Chinese Medical texts quote, ‘the treatment of women is 10 times more complicated than that of men’. As with male infertility the ‘kidney function’ in Chinese medical view, plays a major role in reproduction. It is said in TCM that the kidneys ‘dominate reproduction’ and are the store of reproductive essence or Jing. The kidney Jing plays a role in female physiology in all its stages-puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Aspects of kidney also influence libido, sexual function and contributes to longevity. Acupuncture and herbs can be used to tonify or increase the kidneys energy and strengthen the vital essence or Jing.
Balancing the kidney Yin and Yang is also essential for healthy fertilty. Yin is the term used in TCM to describe the cooling, nourishing and moistening function. Deficient ‘yin’ can manifest as scanty production of vaginal and cervical mucus, scanty periods or in men scanty ejaculate. These women may also have thinner uterine linings which are not secreting adequate nourishment to maintain a pregnancy. TCM calls this a ‘hot, dry uterus’. If the yin energy is inadequate, the follicle in the ovary grows poorly and ovulation and the quality of the egg may not be optimal or viable.
Kidney yang performs a very important function after ovulation, when a fertilised egg reaches the uterus and implants and develops. The Chinese have for thousands of years ascribed the inability of some women to fall pregnant as a ‘cold womb’. Increasing the yang energy of the body through acupuncture, herbs and moxibustion also known as ‘maternal warming’ can incorrect this imbalance. In western terms a cold womb is one that is not supplied with insufficient ‘progesterone’.
Together with the kidneys and uterus the liver and the heart are also major organs associated with successful fertility. The heart encompasses the mind or ‘shen’ and governs the activity of the hypothalamus and the menstrual cycle. Balanced heart energy is essential for a relaxed spirit and the ability to have a rest-full sleep. The liver ensures your energy and blood flows freely throughout your body to nourish all your organs especially those involved with conception. The liver is also important in regulating the hormones required to fall pregnant and reduce the chance of miscarriage.
In summary, Chinese Medicine can improve fertility and pregnancy rates in several ways:
- Improve ovarian function to produce better quality eggs
- Regulate hormones to produce a greater number of follicles
- Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining
- Relax the patient and decrease stress levels
- Prevent the uterus from contracting
- Lessen the side effects of drugs used in IVF and gynaecology
- Strengthen the immune system (very important as Western Medicine treatments usually decrease immunity)
- Improve the sperm count and motility to produce better quality embryos
- Decrease and prevent the chances of miscarriage
Chinese Medicine and IVF Support
Recent research shows that acupuncture on its own can increase the pregnancy rates of people using IVF by up to 40%. (It can deliver the same rates for those not using IVF procedures too.) The studies used showed that these success rates could be achieved by using acupuncture for just one day shortly before and after the transfer of embryos.
Clinical experience suggests this rate can be increased to around 70% by combining both Chinese herbs and acupuncture for, and support throughout, IVF. These figures hold out for non-IVF patients too. We must point out, however, that approximately 5% of couples will never be able to conceive despite all combinations of both Chinese and Western treatment methods.
Acupuncture, Pregnancy and Childbirth
Acupuncture is an Ideal form of treatment as it offers women drug-free relief for a multitude of problems that can arise during pregnancy and childbirth. Its use for conditions often regarded as part of a normal pregnancy, for example morning sickness, sciatica, syphysis pubis pain, and pregnancy induced hypertension, can not only improve a women’s quality of life but also prevent them from becoming serious enough to necessitate medical treatment.
Pre-birth acupuncture can enhance the prospects of an efficient and uncomplicated labour, and the teaching of acupressure to a women’s partner or support people can make a great difference to the levels of pain experienced during labour.
Pre-birth acupuncture can enhance the prospects of an efficient and uncomplicated labour, and the teaching of acupressure to a women’s partner or support people can make a great difference to the levels of pain experienced during labour.
During labour, acupuncture can also greatly reduce the levels of pain experienced, as well as aiding in cervical dilation and enhancing the efficiency of uterine contractions so that the labour progresses sufficiently and there is a much less chance of slow, prolonged or difficult labour. Medical interventions such as vacuum or suction delivery, forceps delivery and caesarean sections are greatly reduced.
Acupuncture is also highly recognised for its success at turning mal-positioned babies (breech / posterior / transverse) and also inducing the onset of labour, allowing women to achieve natural births. Acupuncture inductions promote cervical ripening and contractions of the uterus by encouraging the body to release naturally the birthing hormone ‘oxytocin’.
Post-Natal Treatment
There are very real benefits in using Chinese Medicine during a pregnancy and during the postnatal period to prevent disharmonies from developing. Women in the post-natal periods are very prone to suffering deficiencies of qi, blood and yin. Deficiencies can cause problems such as depression, persistent uterine bleeding and feeding difficulties or insufficient lactation.
A one- off treatment called “mother warming” given around day 5 post-birth, is a moxa technique to warm the women’s abdomen and lower back area and is used to energise women and aid in their recovery. This is then followed by 30 days of tonification (sometimes 100 days in needed), seen as necessary to rebuild the qi and blood lost through pregnancy and childbirth. If a woman is breastfeeding, taking Chinese herbs to tonify qi and blood throughout this period is encouraged.
A one- off treatment called “mother warming” given around day 5 post-birth, is a moxa technique to warm the women’s abdomen and lower back area and is used to energise women and aid in their recovery. This is then followed by 30 days of tonification (sometimes 100 days in needed), seen as necessary to rebuild the qi and blood lost through pregnancy and childbirth. If a woman is breastfeeding, taking Chinese herbs to tonify qi and blood throughout this period is encouraged.
If you would like to request an appointment with our fertility and pregnancy specialist Eeka, or make a further enquiry about how Chinese medicine can help your condition. Please call us on 02 6685 1088.