Acupuncture from a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach can assist the fertility journey
The key risk factors (Rossi, Abusief and Missmer, 2014) for women with infertility can be grouped into categories based on lifestyle, medical, and reproductive health:
1. Age (especially 35 and older), we know egg quality and quantity decline with age and there are increased risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities.
2. Hormonal disorders. The common diseases include PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), thyroid disorders (hypo- or hyperthyroidism), hyperprolactinemia (elevated prolactin)
3. Endometriosis, which can cause inflammation, scarring, and ovarian damage.
4. Pelvic infections, especially Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) from untreated STIs like chlamydia or gonorrhoea. The inflammation can lead to blocked fallopian tubes.
5. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (early menopause) when ovaries stop functioning before age 40.
6. Uterine abnormalities like fibroids, polyps, or congenital uterine malformations.
7. Other contributing factors include chronic health conditions: diabetes, celiac disease, lupus, autoimmune disorders; Stress, anxiety, depression can affect the hormonal axis and delay ovulation; history of cancer treatments: chemotherapy and radiation can damage ovarian function; lifestyle of smoking and drinking.
What can acupuncture help?
Scientific reviews have found that combined acupuncture can improve the success rate of natural fertility, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) with efficacy and safety (Wang et al., 2021).
In general, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) supports fertility by restoring the body’s balance and addressing underlying root causes of infertility through a holistic approach. Acupuncture has been proved effectively to stimulate nerve roots and rebuild the hormone axial and pelvic health (Lim et al., 2019), improve the micro circulation for anti-inflammation and anti-aging, boost lymphatic system to detoxify the organs and visceral, unblock the energy lines flowing to balance the 7 chakras energy fields and improve mental and physical health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the body as a whole – mind, body, and spirit as one ecosystem. Anything that is affecting the natural conception is seen as a malfunction or disturbance of this ecosystem. Of course, physical issues of the reproductive system, organs and hormones need to be considered. However, each of these elements is not isolated. They need to orchestrate seamlessly to create the right conditions for pregnancy to occur.
Our experienced TCM physician Dr. Ying Cheng is committed to helping you restore your fertility. With acupuncture and herbal medicine, we can work together to increase your chances of conceiving, keeping your body healthy while your baby is growing, up until it is time for you to give birth.
Reference:
Lim, C.E.D. et al. (2019) ‘Acupuncture for polycystic ovarian syndrome,’ Cochrane Library, 2019(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd007689.pub4.
Rossi, B.V., Abusief, M. and Missmer, S.A. (2014) ‘Modifiable risk factors and infertility,’ American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(4), pp. 220–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827614558020.
Wang, X. et al. (2021) ‘An Overview of Systematic Reviews of Acupuncture for Infertile Women Undergoing in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer,’ Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.651811.
