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Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture For Infertility
Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to the uniqueness of each person and provides customized treatment for different physiques. For example, acupuncture is quite effective in helping infertility. Pregnancy patients will receive combined therapy of traditional Chinese and western medicine.
A 35-year-old lady was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome by Western medicine. The combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment is now quite popular. Infertility patients are recommended to cooperate with detailed examinations of Western medicine, such as blood tests, ultrasound examinations, and further such as hysteroscopy. Only a correct diagnosis can be suitable for treatment. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, polycystic ovary syndrome is often characterized by phlegm-dampness combined with kidney deficiency and patients with abnormal ovulation, insulin resistance, and excess androgen.
“Phlegm-dampness” in Chinese medicine refers to phlegm, not the phlegm in the respiratory tract as commonly understood, but the water that cannot be metabolized generally in the whole body. As a result, patients often have thick and greasy tongue coating, heavy body, laziness, and even edema. Acupuncture and moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine have the effect of “unblocking.” The treatment of phlegm-dampness is like a clear water ditch. It needs to unblock the abnormal water in the body. Fenglong acupoint is commonly used to dispel phlegm and remove dampness.
Kidney deficiency is also common in infertile women. The kidney in Chinese medicine is not the same as the kidney in Western medicine. The kidney in Chinese medicine includes the endocrine system, such as the adrenal system, the urinary system, and the bones of the whole body. Shenguan acupoint is selecting acupoints, which can significantly invigorate the kidney qi and kidney yang and cure all diseases of kidney deficiency. After receiving regular acupuncture treatment twice a week, the patient has been able to menstruate every month and successfully conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby girl one year later.
Acupuncture treatment of infertility is mostly research on assisted in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). A systematic review and meta-analysis study found that acupuncture was added during the follicular phase for 25 minutes before and after embryo implantation. It can significantly increase the pregnancy rate; acupuncture during the implantation period after embryo implantation can also considerably increase the pregnancy rate. For patients undergoing artificial reproduction, acupuncture can have a good effect when the ovaries are stimulated, and it is simple and has no side effects.
The most important thing is that patients integrate traditional Chinese medicine health concepts into their daily lives. For example, they should eat three meals regularly, avoid cold drinks and roasted spicy food, and avoid stimulating coffee and tea; Jogging, climbing, yoga, tai chi. It can be of good help.
Reference:
Zhu, Jihe et al. “Acupuncture Treatment for Fertility.” Open access Macedonian journal of medical sciences vol. 6,9 1685-1687. 19 Sep. 2018, doi:10.3889/oamjms.2018.379
Guven, Pinar Gursoy et al. “Effectiveness of acupuncture on pregnancy success rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: A randomized controlled trial.” Taiwanese journal of obstetrics & gynecology vol. 59,2 (2020): 282-286. doi:10.1016/j.tjog.2020.01.018
Yu, Liqing et al. Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion vol. 38,3 (2018): 263-8. doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2018.03.009
Li, Qingrui et al. “The effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of male infertility associated with sperm DNA fragmentation: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.” Medicine vol. 100,9 (2021): e24918. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000024918
Ried, Karin. “Chinese herbal medicine for female infertility: an updated meta-analysis.” Complementary therapies in medicine vol. 23,1 (2015): 116-28. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2014.12.004
Jiang, Cui et al. “Chinese herbal medicine for immune infertility: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.” Medicine vol. 100,5 (2021): e24248. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000024248
