Garden Acupuncture explains how TCM (acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and nutrition) can help with your infertility needs.

Have you been curious about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and how it explains infertility?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) suggests that there are three main causes of infertility:

1. Deficiency syndrome - prevents the

endocrine system (hormones)

from properly influencing the sexual and reproductive functions.

2. Stagnancy syndrome - prevents the sexual and reproductive organs from functioning despite normal hormone levels and a normal ability to respond to hormones, which restricts circulation to the tissues.

3. Heat syndrome - associated with infection or inflammatory process. It can cause male infertility (abnormal semen), or female infertility (

fallopian tube

blockages, altering mucous membrane, or temperature changes)

Regardless of the diagnosis the treatment you receive will include acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and nutritional counseling and guidance. These TCM practices can also, and are often, combined with Western medicine.  Rather than treating the symptom, TCM addresses the underlying root cause of the problem. TCM theory states that if the foundation or "root" is balanced than the body will be able to correct whatever health condition is present.   In our office, we hold the deepest belief that infertility is not a disease, but a symptom.

The use of Chinese herbs has been used for more than 3,000 years to treat fertility. In China, the use of herbs is generally taken for 3-6 months, while in Japan it tends to be longer averaging 6-15months, and in the United States most patients take their herbs for 6-12 months. The difference is due to what variety of herbs are available in the local area as well as dosage guidelines.

While the use of Chinese herbs can be very helpful, acupuncture will help the restore Qi flow through the body, also known as meridians.

Acupuncture helps qi flow through the body along pathways, also known as meridians.  It aims to balance this flow by stimulating points along the meridians with thin needles.  Acupuncture aids in blood flow to the reproductive organs and stabilizes hormone levels, which will increase ovarian function in women and sperm production in men.

Lastly Some Research

• A German study published in 2002 showed that acupuncture may be helpful to couples undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Of 80 women in the study who underwent IVF and received acupuncture, 34 women got pregnant. Of another 80 women who only received IVF without acupuncture treatment, only 21 women became pregnant. A later American study revealed similar results, showing that 51 percent of the women who had both acupuncture and IVF treatments became pregnant, while only 36 percent of the women who only received IVF treatment without acupuncture became pregnant.

• Acupuncture also helps with men’s sperm count and sperm quality. In a study published in Fertility and Sterility in 2005, men who received acupuncture had fewer structural defects in sperm and an increase in the number of normal sperm than men who received no acupuncture.

To learn more about how Garden Acupuncture can help with your fertility click here.

To schedule your initial consultation and examination (90minutes) click here.

To learn even more about TCM and fertility watch the videos below: