by
Marianne T. Breiter Bogunovich, M.Sc., Dipl. OM
Traditional Chinese Medicine for Infertility
n increasing frequency, acupuncture is recommended as an adjunct modality by clinicians who offer Artificial Repro- ductive Technology (ART) for the achievement of pregnancy. Acupuncture is recommended to the female patient to improve her overall health and to increase the flow of blood and qi to the womb; so as to improve the success rate of the ART proce- dures.
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For centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used successfully to assist infertile couples to achieve pregnancy. Its use extends far beyond this limited characteriza- tion as a mere adjunct to ART.
Acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, exercise, and stress reduction are the tools in the Oriental Medicine toolbox. When helpful to the patient, treatment might be combined with the use of biomedical hormones (as in progesterone deficiency) and/or surgical techniques (as in endometriosis, uterine polyps, fallopian tube blockage). Traditional Chinese Medicine first seeks a proper diagnosis. It also offers a view to the condition of the various organs of the body, including those principally involved in sexual reproduc- tion: the kidney, liver and spleen. These organs function to regulate the hormones, the Qi and the blood. All contribute to fertility—and dysfunction of any of these organs may cause infertility.
Researchers from New York’s Weill Cornell Medical Cen- ter reviewed existing studies and found that acupuncture helps reduce stress hormones that interfere with ovulation; normal- ize hormones that regulate ovulation so an egg is released;
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increase blood flow to the uterus, improving the chances of a fertilized egg implanting; improve ovulation cycles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Herbal Medicine, used in combination with acu- puncture and proper diet, prescribed by a board-certified Practitioner of Oriental Medicine, is used effectively to treat infertility in both males and females. Herbal Medi- cine may also be used to enhance the effects of biomedi- cal prescription medication for fertility.
One might expect to spend three months treating the underlying root of infertility and three additional months to achieve conception naturally.
Provided by Marianne T. Breiter Bogunovich, M.Sc., Dipl. OM (NCCAOM) of Tree of Life Acupuncture in Allentown. Contact Marianne at 610-428-3911 or visit
www.treeof-
lifeacupuncture.net
Sources: Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproductive therapy. Paulus, et al. Fertility and Sterility, Vol 77, No. 4, April 2002.
Female infertility from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Lin CS. Hu Li Za Zhi. 2008 Dec;55(6):22-7. Department of Chinese Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, ROC.
Chinese Classics, Shang Han Lun, 200 AD
http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/april03/fertility.html www.nccaom.org
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