How can Chinese Medicine help fertility?
Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of over 2,000 years in treating women’s fertility issues. Today, therapeutic effects of acupuncture and herbal medicine are combined with the advances of science and western medicine to offer the best integrative approach.
The primary objective of acupuncture in the treatment of fertility is to improve the supply of qi and blood into the abdominal area to clear obstructions, improve endometrial receptivity, improve egg quality, and reduce stress levels. Fertility treatments are non-invasive and involve biweekly, weekly, or fortnightly appointments based on the individual menstrual and fertility conditions and incorporates Chinese herbal medicine and dietary and lifestyle advice.
IVF & Fertility Support
Research suggests acupuncture stimulates ovulation in women with ovulation disorders by altering endocrine function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and improving egg quality. Acupuncture may improve blood circulation to the ovaries and uterus which optimises endometrial receptivity by inhibiting the uterine central sympathetic nerve activity. Additionally, acupuncture may reduce stress and depression related to infertility by altering stress hormones such as prolactin and serum cortisol.
Where appropriate our clinic offers one or two treatments around the time of embryo transfer as research suggests this may increase pregnancy rates in certain women receiving acupuncture.
When can Chinese medicine benefit fertility?
There are a multitude of factors which affect your menstrual cycle and fertility. Chinese medicine can assist in enhancing your fertility in the following circumstances (but not limited to); hormonal imbalances, irregular or absence of periods, irregular or absence of ovulation, unexplained infertility, thyroid malfunction, partial blockage of Fallopian tubes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), stress & anxiety, endometriosis, fibroids, poor nutrition and much more.
Male Fertility
There are many causes of male infertility due to physical issues (such as damaged sperm ducts, varicocele), genetic factors, hormone disorders (such as hyperprolactinemia, hypothyroidism), previous infections, lifestyle factors (such as alcohol, smoking or drug use), unexplained male infertility and environmental causes. The most common issues involved are the number of sperm, motility (movement) and morphology (form).
Recent studies have explored the use of acupuncture regarding sperm quality in men with poor morphology, motility, low sperm count or varicocele. Yu, Y., Sha, S.-B., Zhang, B., Guan, Q., Liang, M., Zhao, L.-G., Zhang, Q.-Y., Wen, J., & Sun, W. (2019). Effects and mechanism of action of transcutaneous electrical acupuncture point stimulation in patients with abnormal semen parameters. Acupuncture in Medicine, 37(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2017-011365