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Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Treatments for Female Infertility
Female Infertility
Many women have menstrual disorders that can make conceiving difficult.
I can use both Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbal medicine to treat menstrual disorders. Successful treatment of the primary disorder can then lead to conception and pregnancy.
The following disorders commonly interfere with natural fertility and are discussed in more detail below:
- Ovulatory dysfunction
- Tubal dysfunction
- Endometriosis
- Unexplained or functional infertility
Ovulatory dysfunction
Common symptoms of ovulatory dysfunction can be seen in an irregular menstrual cycle, a scanty lite bleed, spotting between cycles, or no bleeding at all and in women with severe premenstrual symptoms PMS.
Ovulatory dysfunction can cause subfertility and recurrent miscarriages.
Ovulatory dysfunction can also occur due to a gynaecological disorder. It frequently occurs in women with;
- Polycystic ovaries (PCO)
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Premature ovarian failure
- Advanced maternal age
- Luteal phase defect (LPD)
- Lutenized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS)
For most of the above mentioned pathologies we can use both Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to correct the underlying cause. If I don’t see significant improvement or a pregnancy in a certain amount of time Western treatments such as clomiphene or IVF can be added by a gynaecologist or reproductive specialist.
I can arrange for a full range of blood tests to be carried out when necessary, as well as helping find a suitable referral to a specialist consultant or clinic.
Monitoring the ovulation by recording the basal body temperature (BBT) on an App or a chart can be helpful to gain a picture of your menstrual cycle. An increase of the basal body temperature of about 0.5˚suggests ovulation has occurred and a maintained higher temperature characterises the post-ovulatory period. The BBT chart helps us to understand the activity of the hormones that regulate the female cycle, and also guide the selection of Acupuncture points and herbs. Improvement of the BBT curve during treatment is a way of monitoring the treatments progress.
Research shows that Chinese medicine can be equally effective in treating ovulatory dysfunction as biomedicine. Extensive research studies from around the world show that:
- Acupuncture can be equally effective as clomiphene citrate in the treatment of ovulatory dysfunction without causing any side effects. Studies suggest that acupuncture adjusts FSH and LH and normalizes oestrogen and progesterone levels, thus regulating ovulation.
- Chinese herbal medicine restores ovarian function effectively and promptly. It offers a valuable option for treating infertility in patients with premature ovarian failure and/ or raised FSH and LH levels, as well as treating patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS. Correct treatment can restore a regular cycle with a good biphasic basal body temperature and an efficient luteal phase.
Tubal dysfunction
The fallopian tubes play an essential role in fertility. They catch the egg as it is released by the ovary, then hold and nourish it whilst it fuses with the sperm. The embryo is then transported along the tube within 2-3 days, until the raised progesterone prepared a thick uterine lining for the embryo to implant into.
The fallopian tubes can become physically damaged by certain disorders or can simply loose its functional integrity, impairing natural fertility.
Physical defects of the fallopian tubes may be associated with a history of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Endometriosis, use of intrauterine device, ruptured appendix, with lower abdominal surgery, or an Ectopic Pregnancy. Scarring occurs along the inner walls of the tubes, disrupting the natural function of the cells lining the tubes, or obstructing the passage completely.
Functional defects of the tubes may be due to either muscle tension of the tubes or due to mucus accumulation. Progesterone should clear the secretions within the tube and should also relax its muscles to allow easy passage of the pre-embryo into the uterus.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine work on functional disorders of the tube:
- Spasms and tension in the tubes can cause a functional blockage. A functional blockage can prevent the sperm reaching the egg or stop the fertilised egg reaching the uterus at the right time.
- Excessive secretions can block the tubes. Secretions are designed to lubricate the tube and nourish egg and embryo. In a pathological situation, fluids are either over-produced or cannot drain efficiently due to an obstruction of the tube itself or due to a deficient rise of progesterone.
The treatment may incorporate Acupuncture treatment on the lower abdomen to relax the fallopian tubes, and/ or an herbal prescription to clear away any excessive fluid, or to raise the body’s own progesterone levels. If the tubes are not damaged too much along their length, microsurgery is a good treatment option, especially if combined with Chinese herbal medicine. A study in China examining best treatments for damaged and obstructed tubes found that combining Chinese medicine to surgical procedures enhances the clinical outcome and thus the chances of pregnancy. If there is extensive damage to the tubes, IVF becomes the only option.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common menstrual disorder manifesting;
- Painful periods, dysmenorrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Spotting before periods
- Pain during intercourse
- Infertility
The disease is defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, which can respond to the cyclic hormones involved in the menstrual cycle to cause bleeding and pain.
How endometriosis impairs fertility
Endometriosis impairs natural fertility for a variety of reasons.
- It can physically obstruct ovulation and the transportation along the tube.
- The presence of endometrial tissue also activates immune cells (macrophages) which attack sperm cells and release substances (cytokines) that are toxic to sperm and embryo.
- Endometriosis is also associated with a higher incidence of ovulatory disturbance, leading to unruptured follicles and/ or low progesterone levels in the luteal phase, the latter leading to a non-receptive uterine endometrium.
Western treatment of Endometriosis in women who try to become pregnant is limited. Surgical removal of the endometrial tissue is used to debulk severe Endometriosis. The chances of conception after surgical interference are about 50% after 2-3 years. It is however difficult to remove all the tissue, and some small unpigmented lesions may be left that still produce secretions that interfere with normal fertility. Hormonal medication is often used to suppress the menstrual cycle for 3 to 9 months to ‘starve’ the endometrial tissue into disappearing. Artificial fertilisation is often advised to circumnavigate the damaged areas.
Chinese medicine approaches this multifactorial disorder in a different way. Apart from treating the pathology (the congealed blood at places other than the uterus), we try to establish the underlying reason for why this disorder develops. This is different in each patient.
Studies in China confirm that the treatment of Endometriosis with Chinese herbal medicine diminishes pain as well as the size of ectopic mass or cysts. Research into the mechanism shows that Chinese herbal medicine improves the microcirculation of the lower abdomen as well as modulating the immunologic disturbances associated with Endometriosis..
Unexplained or functional infertility
About 25% of couples experience infertility and no clear biomedical cause can be established. To enhance ovulation, women are frequently given clomiphene citrate for 3-4 menstrual cycles, coupled with gonadotrophins to trigger ovulation. If that approach fails, intrauterine insemination is often performed. The monthly probability of pregnancy is 10-15%, slightly lower than the probability of pregnancy in fertile couples (20-25%). generallly if no pregnancy occurs after 12 cycles, assisted fertility treatments like IVF are often recommended.
When a Chinese medicine diagnosis on a woman or man with unexplained infertility is completed, very often you find a reason for this subfertility, such as what we call ‘deficient Blood’ leading to a thin endometrial lining that could not sustain a pregnancy, or, ‘Blood Stasis’ in the uterus that interferes with the pelvic circulation, or a low core body temperature. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine treatment can often lead to the desired outcome of achieving a natural pregnancy.
Acupuncture reduces stress and can enhance the patient to support a healthy ovulation and menstrual cycle, improving fertility.
Let’s work together towards better health
If you’re interested in exploring how Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support your health, get in touch to book a consultation at our London or Bath clinics. I’ll take time to understand your individual needs and help you move towards lasting wellbeing.
07985 918237
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