Oriental Medicine for Fertility
According to the American Fertility Society, fertility issues affect at
least one in six couples in the United States. Reproductive health, like
all health, is about balance. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have
been used for thousands of years to successfully address infertility by
restoring optimal hormonal balance, increasing circulation through the
reproductive organs, and creating an overall environment where new life
may flourish. Using Chinese medicine, we can assess the underlying
imbalances and detect stress and/or weakness throughout the body. A good
evaluation by a well-trained practitioner allows for a clear
understanding of each individual case. Infertility can be caused by a
variety of factors including: advanced age, genetic disposition, poor
diet, overwork, insufficient rest & exercise, illness, nutritional
deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, and high mental/emotional stress.
Maintaining and restoring balance is at the heart of diagnosis and
treatment in Chinese Medicine. Common treatment prescriptions include
acupuncture, herbs, diet, lifestyle changes, or a combination of all
four to bring your system back to its proper functioning.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine may enhance fertility by:
Females - Regulating the menstrual cycle
- Regulating FSH & hormone levels to produce a larger -
- number of follicles
- Increasing blood flow to the uterus and increase the-
- thickness of the uterine lining
- Improving the function of the ovaries to produce better-
- quality eggs
- Increasing libido
- Correcting blocked fallopian tubes
- Enhancing response to IVF – lessening side effects-
- of IVF on the body
- Relaxing the mind & body
- Preventing miscarriage
Males
- Improving sperm count and motility
- Increasing libido
- Correcting erectile dysfunction
- Increasing semen quantity
Good candidates for acupuncture and herbal medicine are
people who
have a functional, rather than structural reason for infertility.
Infertility due to hormonal problems, immune disorders, amenorrhoea,
irregular menstruation, stress and age related factors all fall into the
category of functional infertility.
Stress can dramatically decrease fertility in both men and women.
Acupuncture increase fertility by reducing stress.
Targeted Fertility Treatment
Treatment for infertility is usually over a course of 3-6 months.
While some patients get pregnant in as little as 6 weeks others may
take
much longer. Each person's condition is unique and each person
responds
differently to treatment.
Acupuncture and in-vitro fertilization
Women undergoing IVF were 65 percent
more likely to become pregnant when they combined the procedure with
acupuncture, a recent study has shown. The remarkable
success rate occurred across seven acupuncture trials involving 1,366
women in a systematic review and meta-analysis published in a February,
2008 issue of the British Medical Journal.
Acupuncture
was delivered either just before or just after embryo transfer – the
moment when the embryo fertilized in the laboratory must attach itself
to the wall of the womb to establish a pregnancy.
The research
was carried out by scientists from the University of Maryland in America
and the VU University Amsterdam in Holland. Researchers claim that
because acupuncture costs only about $75 per session compared to $6000
to $10,000 per cycle for IVF, it would be a cost effective, safe and
efficient way of boosting success rates in fertility treatment. It
is thought that acupuncture stimulates the neurotransmitters that
trigger the production of gonadotrophin- releasing hormone, which
controls the menstrual cycle and a woman's ovulation.
Combining IVF treatment with acupuncture has shown to dramatically
increase the chances for conception by as much as 60%. It is highly
recommended that treatment begin prior to retrieval and continue through
the implantation procedure.
On the day the embryos are implanted,
receiving a special acupuncture procedure before and after implantation
will further increase the chances of a successful implantation. Special
arrangements will be made around this appointment as these are the most
important acupuncture treatments of the series.
Call us at (904) 448-0046 to arrange a free consultation to see
how
acupuncture and Oriental medicine can assist you with your fertility goals!
Lifestyle Tips during Fertility
Diet Suggestions
In general for men and women, eat organic foods when possible and avoid
meats that have been treated with hormones or fish that contains
mercury.
Women need to eat food with essential fatty acids, e.g., soy
products and wild
caught salmon. Essential fatty acids are also found
in non-hydrogenated cold
pressed oils like flaxseed, winter vegetables,
such as broccoli, cauliflower,
and carrots, and all dark green
vegetables. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. A Yale
University School
of Medicine study found that the risk of infertility was 55%
higher for women drinking 1 cup of coffee per day, 100% higher for
women
drinking 1 and 1 ½ - 3 cups, and 176% higher for those drinking
more than
3 cups of coffee per day.
Chinese medicine takes an energetic view of our bodies and our organs,
meaning that bodily energy needs to move freely and stagnation causes
problems. The energy of the kidney system is very important for
reproduction.
For men and women, foods that nourish their kidney essence include:
chicken
or duck and eggs from both; seeds and nuts; oysters; seaweed
and algae.
For women, certain foods help nourish your bodies during the different
phases of your cycle.
Foods that nourish Yin include: fruits such as raspberries, pineapples
and
grapes; vegetables such as asparagus and beans; adequate proteins,
especially tofu and fish; and organ meats such as kidneys, brains and
hearts.
Avoid spicy, pungent foods.
Foods that nourish Yang include warming foods: ginger; ginger tea;
beans;
grains; and vegetables such as mustard greens, winter squash,
cabbage
and kale. Avoid ice cold drinks, ice cream and foods that are
very cold.
In general, it is a good idea to avoid ice water and ice
cream during pregnancy
attempts.
Foods that nourish blood include: fruits such as blackberries,
raspberries
and grapes; organic meats and poultry; soup stock made from
the bones
of the meat and poultry; and vegetables such as turnips,
spinach and dark,
leafy greens.
Lifestyle Tips
For both men and women, try to get good amounts of sleep and limit
stress.
Of course, difficulties with fertility send stress skyrocketing
but that makes it
even more important to find ways to relieve stress.
Meditation, yoga, relaxing
with friends and any other calming
activities that work for you are encouraged.
For men, skip saunas, hot tubs and tight clothes, all of which heat up sperm.
For women, enjoy the foods noted above, exercise as a stress reliever
and to maintain health but don’t overdo it. Excessive exercise depletes
Yin.
Call us at (904) 448-0046 to arrange a free consultation to see
how
acupuncture and Oriental medicine can assist you with your fertility goals!
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