Female Fertility Acupuncture
A study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility, found acupuncture improves pregnancy success rate by 50% in women undergoing
in-vitro fertilization, or IVF. [Paulus W, et. Al., Influence of acupuncture on pregnancy rate in patients who undergo ART. J Fertility & Sterility, 2002 April;77(4):721-4.]
In fact, the evidence that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have been used to aid fertility, can be found in early medical literature dating back to year 3 AD.
Infertility affects up to 15% of Canadian couples and maybe attributed to a number of diverse factors. Infertility is defined as a "failure to achieve a successful pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse" (PCASRM 2008). Recent surveys suggest that between 11.5% and 15.7% of Canadian couples attempting to get pregnant are dealing with an inability to conceive, with prevalence rates increasing with advancing maternal age (Bushnik 2012). It is estimated that approximately 30% of infertility causes may be attributed to male factors and 40% to female factors. In the remainder cases, a combination of influences or an undetermined cause are deemed to be responsible (AHRC 2010).
In spite of our ability to image, measure and quantify so many aspects of the reproductive tract, a clear cause of infertility cannot be identified in a number of cases (Ledger 2009). These unexplained cases may be attributed in the future to other pathological processes that are the subject of current research including immune functioning (Siam 2011), genetic enzymatic variants (Eloualid 2012) and signaling peptides (Sadeu 2012). A role of oxidative stress in infertility has also been proposed by numerous authors (Agarwal 2005, Ruder 2009, Visioli 2011).
Menstruation phases according to TCM:
According to the TCM, in addition to Kidney, Liver, Spleen, Heart and other meridians and organs, there two main meridians that govern the menstruation and pregnancy in women. These two channels or meridians are called Chong and Ren.
Chong Meridian:
The Chong meridian originates in the area between the two Kidneys, and passes through the uterus and then goes down to link with the Ren meridian below the female genitals. It then emerges in the lower abdominal area and continues along the Kidney meridian in the center of lower abdomen up to below the neck base. It follows up the throat, encircles the mouth and continues up to the forehead. A second branch flows from below the female genitals inside the spine to the lower back. A third branch flows downward to the foot where it links with the Spleen and Kidney meridians.
Ren Meridian:
The Ren meridian originates in the uterus and emerges from a point below the female genitals, where it links with the Chong meridian. It then goes up along the midline of the abdomen, chest, throat and jaw and ends at a point in the lower jaw. The interior portion of the meridian winds around the mouth, connects to the Du meridian which runs on the back and stops below the eyes. Another branch of it arises from the pelvic cavity and enters the spine and ascends along the back.
This shows the close link of Chong and Ren meridians with menstruation and female fertility.
On day one of the female menstrual cycle, the Chong begins to empty, and the women start to shed their lining. As you can imagine, this phase is dominated by the movement of blood and qi. This is the best time of the cycle to regulate blood and qi in a woman who has blood stasis and qi stagnation, because your treatment coincides with the natural blood and qi movement that is occurring.
The next phase is the proliferation phase, where a woman's uterine lining grows back.
The Chong vessel (after emptying during the period) needs to be completely refilled to start building the uterine lining again and growing the follicles. This is accomplished through an overabundance of yin and blood to fill up the Ren and Chong so that the yin and blood can perform their function of producing the lining and the follicles. The focus will be on building yin and blood during this phase. This happens from the end of the period at about day five right through to ovulation.
At ovulation, the fullness of yin turns into yang through the act of ovulation popping the dominant egg out of its follicle. This is why it is important to nourish yin and blood during the proliferation phase. Only when yin and blood are full and overflowing, can the yin be transformed into yang. This process is mirrored physiologically by the threshold levels of the estrogenic-phase hormones needing to be reached before ovulation can occur. From a TCM perspective, the egg popping out and the movement of the fallopian tubes to gather and move the embryo into the uterus for implantation is the movement of qi and blood. Hence, treatment at this time should regulate the qi and blood to encourage this natural movement taking place within a woman.
The next part of the cycle is the progestogenic yang phase of menstruation.
Here, the progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum slightly warms the uterus and dries up the cervical fluid to help provide the best nest for the embryo to develop. This is the part of the cycle during which a woman notices a slight change in her temperature if she is using a basal body-temperature chart to record her cycle changes. Not coincidentally, this warming and drying phase of menstruation is the yang part of the cycle. TCM doctors realized the importance of a warm womb long ago. In fact, there is a diagnosis labelled "cold womb" or "cold in the uterus," which is a cause of infertility. It is important to warm yang to ensure a healthy menstrual cycle.
Once again, the cycle of transformation of yin and yang renews itself by a fullness of yang being released and transformed into yin through a healthy menstrual flow. At this stage not only can you help a woman have a healthier cycle following the natural physiological changes in a woman's reproductive system, but because this cycle is so important to a woman's overall physiology, acupuncture can greatly affect her overall health, too.
How does acupuncture work to enhance female fertility?
According to the principles of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), a person's health is determined by having a balanced flow of "Qi", the vital life force circulating throughout the body. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are the means of influencing this energy to induce a particular effect in body. In modern terms, acupuncture can affect the nervous and endocrine system.
Many modern researches have confirmed its benefit in the following areas:
- Regulating the menstrual cycle.
- Enhancing general health that is very critical for optimum fertility.
- Reducing stress, controlling anxiety, enhancing sleep and increasing energy levels.
- Balancing endocrine system.
- Improving blood flow in pelvic cavity.
- Increasing the chance of pregnancy for IVF, or IUI.
- Stimulating the neurotransmitters that trigger the production of (GnRH, or Gonadotropin-releasing hormone)
- Increasing sperm count, motility and quality
Who can benefit from fertility acupuncture?
Good candidates for acupuncture and herbal medicine are people who have a functional, rather than structural etiology for infertility. Infertility due to hormonal imbalance i.e. fluctuating FSH, immune disorders, amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, fibroids and cysts, stress and age related factors, all fall into the category of functional infertility.
Stress can dramatically decrease fertility in both women and men. Acupuncture can increase fertility chances by reducing stress.
For those whose infertility involves structural issues, such as fallopian tube damage or severe endometriosis, a complete medical evaluation is recommended to understand the exact nature of the problem before initiating TCM treatments.
Treatment plan
Acupuncture is done on Chong, Ren , Kidney, Spleen, Heart, Liver, Stomach meridians for female fertility patients. Some points will be selected on the lower abdomen where Uterus and Ovaries are located. Some points will be done to calm the mind and reduce stress and balance hormones.
Your initial visit is usually about 1.5 hrs and includes an evaluation based on TCM and an acupuncture treatment for fertility. Follow up visits are only one hour long.
A customized herbal medicine treatment plan, will start from your second visit. Herbs are administered as raw herbs that you take home and cook them once a week, and keep the decoction in a glass jar in the fridge and normally drink it 2-3 times a day.
You also follow a reasonable diet as well as proper exercises.
Give the treatment 6-9 months, but there are patients who can get pregnant earlier than that, since every one responds differently to the treatment and there is no set time.
Male Fertility Acupuncture (TCM Differentiation):
Kidney Yang deficiency
Low libido and or impotence, slow motility of sperm, weak ejaculation, seminal emission, low sperm count
Yang deficiency symptoms (feeling cold, fatigue, pale bright face, clear and excessive urination)
Kidney Yin deficiency
Seminal emission, low sperm count, thick sticky semen from Heat and or lack of fluids
Kidney Yin deficiency symptoms (nights sweats, anxiety, irritable, fidgety)
Liver Qi stagnation
As Liver meridian wraps around the genitals, a blockage in the local area (genital) makes it difficult to ejaculate, related with impotence and low libido.
LR Qi stagnation symptoms (stress, easily angered, irritability)
Damp/Heat in lower Jiao
Certain food, alcohol and spicy hot diets leads to this condition, generally overweight, sperm count is low, may be sperm deformities
Damp/Heat symptoms (scanty urine, abdominal fullness, loose stools, smelly defecation, feeling overheated)
Qi and Blood deficiency
Worrying, thinking too much, over-thinking, stress, chronic illness, low libido, performance anxiety, low sperm count, short sperm life, slow mobility, anxiety, palpitations
Qi and Blood deficiency symptoms (Pale face and nails, fatigue, low libido)
How do acupuncture and TCM work for male fertility?
For male fertility treatments, usually acupuncture is done to activate the DU channel which is one of the main Yang activating channels of the body, in addition needles are inserted on Kidney, Spleen, Liver, Heart, Ren, and other necessary meridians based on the TCM differentiation.
Some points are selected on specific meridians on the lower abdomen, as in TCM the lower abdomen or Dan Tian is called the room of Essence.
Treatment plan
Normally a minimum of once a week treatments are recommended for male individuals with fertility challenges. Chinese herbal medicine can also be administered for people who have a lower sperm count and motility to complement the effect of acupuncture. The treatments should be continued until the pregnancy occurs with the female partner, then we recommend that the female individuals continue the treatments throughout the pregnancy.
Your initial visit is usually about 1.5 hrs and includes an evaluation based on TCM and an acupuncture treatment for fertility. Follow up visits are only one hour long.
A customized herbal medicine treatment plan, can start from your second visit. Herbs are administered as raw herbs that you take home and cook them once a week, and keep the decoction in a glass jar in the fridge and normally drink it 2-3 times a day. You also follow a reasonable diet as well as proper exercises.