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1. How Can Acupuncture and TCM Help Infertility?
Acupuncture and TCM can be used by itself or in combination with Western treatment such as IVF, IUI, ICSI, or other therapies. For women, acupuncture can help regulate menstruation, balance FSH, adjust estrogens and progesterone, induce ovulation, improve egg quality and lining growth, support implantation, reduce the risk of miscarriage and prevent it from recurring. For men, acupuncture and TCM can help increase sperm production (both quantity and quality) and enhance sperm motility, improve varicocele and hydrocele by better local circulation, and treat sexual dysfunctions, aspermia, or other unexplained male factor infertility.
2. Does Acupuncture Help Enhance the Success Rate of IVF or Other ART?
ART refers to Assisted Reproduction Therapy or Assisted Reproductive Technology, such as IVF(In Vitro Fertilization), IUI(Intra-Uterine Insemination), or ICSI (IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection). Undergoing these medical procedures can be stressful to a patient's mind and body, mainly due to uncertainty or the use of some medications. In this case, it is important to find ways to care for yourself and to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing.
Acupuncture improves the flow of energy and blood in the body, reduces stress by sedating the body and mind, and brings the body to its optimal state of relaxation and equilibrium. It helps to create a more ideal condition for an upcoming pregnancy to take place.
3. Is There Any Scientific Proof?
Yes, a well-known German study (by Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, EI-Danasouri I, and Sterzik K) published in the April 2002 issue of the professional journal Fertility and Sterility examined a total of 160 randomly assigned patients, 80 of them receiving acupuncture and ART, and the remaining 80 patients undergoing ART without acupuncture. In the with-acupuncture group, treatment consisted of regular acupuncture treatments before AND after IVF. The results showed that the pregnancy rate for this group was considerably higher (42.5%) than that in the control group (26.3%).
This finding was reconfirmed by another randomized prospective and controlled study published in May 2006 (by Dieterle S, Ying G, Hatzmann W, and Neuer A, also in Fertility and Sterility), which concluded that Luteal-phase acupuncture has a positive effect on the outcome of IVF/ICSI.
A systemic review and meta-analysis published in the March 2008 issue of the BMJ (by Manheimer E, Zhang G, Udoff L, Haramati A, Langenberg P, Berman BM, and Bouter LM) also indicated that current preliminary evidence suggests acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilization.
For those people planning to have TCM acupuncture to support their medical procedure of IVF, ICSI, or IUI, please be aware of the following important 4 points:
1) Before the ART Procedure
To maximize your chance of getting pregnant, it is recommended that you plan ahead and start your weekly TCM acupuncture approximately 2 to 3 months before the IVF or IUI cycle. If you were short of time, even 6 to 8 weeks of acupuncture support treatment prior to your IVF or IUI can still be a big help. The purpose at this time is to let TCM treatment cover at least a full menstrual cycle to prepare your body ready for the upcoming ART procedure (very much like this saying, "Prepare the soil before implanting the seed"). The benefits of TCM acupuncture are to
2) On the Day of IVF/IUI/ICSI?
Acupuncture should be performed on the day, both right before and right after your IVF/ICSI or IUI, even if you had never received acupuncture treatment. It can be a very good help by improving circulation of energy and blood to the uterus, relaxing the abdomen muscles, and reducing related stress arising from the medical procedure.
3) After the ART Procedure
Weekly acupuncture treatment is needed with some adjustment of the points used. At this stage, acupuncture helps implantation and soothes anxiety.
4) After the Blood Test
If you got a positive result, weekly acupuncture is still recommended for the first 3 months of pregnancy, and sometimes even longer in the case of patients with a history of recurrent miscarriage. It is to help with a deeper settlement of the embryo, prevent or reduce the risk of a miscarriage, support fetus growth, and alleviate mother's nausea or other discomfort, if any.
If you did not obtain a positive outcome, we can still use acupuncture to prepare your body ready for next IVF or IUI, or to help you deal with the negative outcome, both physically and emotionally, and to recover from it quickly.
Yes, acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine can treat the root cause of recurrent miscarriage and help to reduce the intrinsic risk of miscarriage. Most women with a history of miscarriage can carry their babies to a full term after receiving regular TCM acupuncture treatment.
Yes, we had many successful cases in treating the unexplained infertility. An experienced TCM Practitioner usually takes a look at human health in a holistic way. Unexplained by Western medicine does not mean a dysfunctional organ system or an imbalance at regional or system level is not there. From a TCM perspective, it is possible to find an alternative explanation and solutions for the unexplained infertility.
Yes, we had treated patients with several unsuccessful IVF or IUI cycles. Some of them were even told by their fertility doctors that nothing Western medicine can do for them. After a few months of treatments with acupuncture and customized Chinese herbs, many of them got pregnant either naturally or by combining TCM treatment with another cycle of IVF or IUI. In this case, be prepared for longer than usual time of acupuncture/TCM treatment.
Yes, approximately 1/3 of our pregnant patients were successfully treated by using only TCM acupuncture and Chinese herbs. However, this undertaking may take longer time. If you needed a quicker solution with relatively higher success rate, an integrated approach is advised.
Yes, TCM treatment also has good results for women older than 40 years of age, because the treatment we provide may help rejuvenate people's body and improve their egg quality. We had some successful cases of natural pregnancies to their full terms in women aged at 45 and 46. The course of treatments may take longer time than usual, and your commitment, determination, cooperation, and patience are often required.
TCM here stands for Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM is an ancient medical science originated from some 5,000 years of observation and investigations of human body and its relation with the Nature. It has accumulated a wealth of fundamental understanding and knowledge about the body system, and developed unique diagnostic skills and therapeutic techniques mainly through generations of clinical practice and experiences.
TCM views illnesses as a result of imbalance among various organ systems, or between human body and the Nature. Meridians are the channels to connect these systems. TCM treatment focuses on restoring the balance by addressing the root cause of disease as well as presenting symptoms. This type of treatment includes meridian-based acupuncture (body, auricular, scalp, electro-, or ignited) herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, Tuina (a form of Chinese style therapeutic massage), guasha (dermal scraping with special tools), and acupressure among other things.
After 5,000 years, TCM is still alive, viable and vital, because it works!
Acupuncture is one of the most useful and effective treatment techniques in TCM. It is the insertion of various fine or small needles into certain points on the body surface. These points are located on and join together by meridians/channels, along with Qi flows.
Meridians/Channels connect the body tissues and organs in a way similar to a network of blood vessels or nerves. Most meridians are identified with an organ name, such as the Kidney Meridian/Channel of Foot-Shaoyin. Those points along a specific meridian, if stimulated by inserting needles, are capable of regulating the corresponding organ system and its related functions.
When acupoints are carefully chosen by a qualified, well-trained, and experienced TCM doctor, the Qi flow is stimulated, and the balance can be restored, locally or systemically.
Fertility acupuncture may seem similar to but is quite different from other forms of acupuncture. It requires special and advanced trainings in this focused area plus many years of experience to become competent. To a layperson, needles may seem to be on the same place, if inserted by an under-trained or inexperienced practitioner. However, even one inch apart in the same region could be another point or a completely different meridian.
Other distinctions between them lies mainly on how the combo of needle points is determined (i.e., the acupuncture prescription) and administered (i.e., the way to perform needle manipulation), and how the treatment plan is adjusted to individual condition, from time to time, in order to fit cycle days and ever-changing needs arising from a patient's situation.
Many locally educated service providers are undertrained in acupuncture, especially in fertility acupuncture. Their training institutions are not even listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (see WDOMS). In Ontario, many other healthcare professions, such as Naturopath, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Nurses or RMTs, etc. are legally allowed to perform acupuncture even if they only had a short period of training in acupuncture. Be aware of the practitioners you choose.
One good strategy for you to get a well qualified and experienced fertility acupuncturist is to ask the practitioner in your initial interview if he or she had helped any couple conceive NATURALLY. This is because many patients going through IVF/IUI procedures can be successful even without any other supplementary treatments. For some difficult cases or if you would like to improve your chance, it is the INCREMENTAL effects of true fertility acupuncture that can really help you in a much more effective and efficient way with less money spent.
Chinese Herbal medicine has been in use for more than 5,000 years. It has been regarded as the World's oldest, safest, and most comprehensive system of healthcare in history. Chinese herbal medicine is based on the use of mainly raw herbs from plants (or some wild animal parts) that possess powerful healing substances to correct the imbalance of the human body.
Application of Chinese herbs is a very personalized choice, often prescribed to help individual medical condition. TCM practitioners combine items mostly of plant origin (roots, stems, barks, seeds and flowers) with, if necessary, some minerals or animal parts, into a herbal formula to meet individual needs.
Herbs are usually cooked and drunk as a decoction, or taken orally in tablet, pills or powder forms. They can also be used externally on the body surface. All of which are to treat the root cause or chief presenting symptom(s) of the disorder.
A typical Chinese herbal prescription with raw herbs can be customized in the following ways to fit an individual patient's conditions:
1) Selection of Individual Herbs: A customized herbal prescription usually comprises of two or more herbal items, depending on a patient’s health and medical conditions. Correctly selecting a group of raw herbs to use, given a right TCM diagnosis, requires the practitioner know well about the nature and properties of Chinese Materia Medica, their efficacy and therapeutic effects. Most formal trainings in Chinese medicine cover more than 300 commonly used individual herbs, classified into different categories. Therefore, a competent and experienced Chinese herbalist should be able to choose from a large pool of raw herbs to fit an individual patient’s unique health and medical condition.
2) Dose of Each Selected Herb: The amount of each prescribed herb can vary greatly from one item to another. The dosage listed for each herb on the textbook of Chinese Materia Medica is just the recommended average dose for the majority of needy patients. Clinically, however, people sometimes see various departure from the norm. This is why there is a well-known saying in the TCM community: “Chinese medicine does not pass on the dose secret of herbal medication.” As a general rule of thumb, when fewer herbs are prescribed, the dosage for each item tends to be relatively heavier than usual for a strong, targeted and more concentrated therapeutic effect. If more herbs are used in a prescription to address multi-facets of a challenging chronic disease, then one can expect, still with some exception, that the average dosage is usually prescribed for most selected herbs while the number of herb items tends to be more.
3) Potential Interaction: When several raw herbs are utilized in the same prescription, a TCM doctor must carefully consider the potential interaction among them and their combined therapeutic effects on the patient. Most of these interactions, according to TCM research literature, have a positive effect, meaning they will be viewed separately as the principle, ministerial, assistant, and guiding medicine (Jun Chen Zuo Shi) by its individual role in the prescription. Others of the potential interaction may have an adverse effect if used together, and therefore should be avoided in the same prescription, such as ginseng and LiLu (black false hellebore).
4) Frequency of Use: How often, or in what way, an herbal decoction should be taken is another factor to consider in the application of customized herbs. For most of the medical conditions, they should be taken daily for a while before further adjustment is made to the prescription. One day’s supply, often packed in one bag, should be cooked twice and taken twice per day. This frequency of use also depends on other considerations, such as the severity and duration of the illness. Taking a decoction three or more times per day for a short period may be used for most acute conditions, while for certain mild or less urgent cases, three days/bags per week is also not uncommon. If the purpose is for health maintenance or general wellbeing, one bag of herbs per week may also be recommended by your TCM doctor.
5) Duration of Treatment: For most acute condition of internal system dysfunction, herbs prescribed for 3 to 5 days can often do the job. General chronic disorders may require 3 to 6 courses of treatment, with each a duration of 5 to 10 days. For example, TCM’s approach to infertility treatment may last 2 to 6 cycles or even longer. We often tell our patients, if asked, the longer you’ve been suffering from a disease, the longer your estimated time of recovery treatment will be. So it is very important for our patients to know that we are here to help you whenever you need us, but only to the extent that you’re committed to your treatment plan and follow the advice given by your health care practitioner.
While a customized herbal prescription may not be as easy or convenient to use as herbal pills with fixed ingredients, it does provide our patients with a powerful option to treat most of the chronic disorders, dysfunction of internal organ systems, or some challenging diseases.
A prescription personalized by a qualified TCM physician also takes into consideration of differences in body constitution, geographic region, and seasonal weather in its customization. Without doubt, it is the most classical and traditional way of using Chinese herbs, often with reinforced/targeted therapeutic effects, and significantly minimized adverse reactions, if any.
A herbal pill or capsule with fixed components can not be customized by either removing or adding any herbal items to meet a needy patient's complex medical conditions.
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