Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are extremely helpful in treating and helping to manage women’s health-related conditions, including issues with fertility and reproduction. Conditions treated and managed successfully include menstrual irregularities and pain, menopausal symptoms, and PMS symptoms. Other conditions that are managed well with acupuncture include fibroids and pain or heavy periods from endometriosis.
Menstrual irregularities & pain
Menstrual pain and irregularities can be caused by many different contributing factors, according to Chinese medical theory. We perform a thorough intake which includes tongue and pulse diagnosis to determine what is the cause of the problem. Usually, when there is menstrual pain, it is a result of some type of blockage within the reproductive area of a woman. An example of a physical blockage would be a uterine fibroid or ovarian cysts that cause pain during menstruation.
Stress and PMS
Stress contributes to many women’s health problems such as menstrual irregularities and PMS. Acupuncture is very effective in helping a person decrease the amount of stress in her life through the promotion of relaxation and overall wellness. Acupuncture, which uses very thin and solid stainless steel needles, helps with regulating menses and PMS symptoms through freeing the flow of blocked energy from stress on the nervous system. It is painless and very healing to the overall health of the person receiving the treatment.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition that is becoming more commonly diagnosed in women between ages of 25-40. It is a condition where the endometrial tissue begins growing outside of the uterus. This leads to symptoms such as pelvic and abdominal pain, painful periods (dysmenorrhea), pre-menstrual spotting, and infertility. It can also cause digestive disturbances. Acupuncture has been found to be very effective in reducing pain associated with endometriosis as well as with regulating the menses for a more regular cycle. The key treatment principles according to Chinese medical theory involve supporting proper shedding of the endometrial lining through boosting energy within the reproductive system, eliminating stagnating factors such as dampness and heat, as well as increasing healthy blood circulation. Acupuncture is often combined with Chinese herbal medicine to increase the positive results and outcome.
Fertility and reproduction
Acupuncture can be used as a stand alone treatment for infertility as well as in conjunction with western reproductive medical techniques such as IUI or IVF. Acupuncture along with herbal medicine can increase fertility through balancing reproductive hormones, regulating menstrual irregularities, and through increasing a women’s uterine lining for healthy implantation. Men can also benefit from acupuncture treatments to help with healthy sperm growth and functioning for fertilization.
High FSH/advanced maternal age
As a woman ages her egg quality and quantity naturally decrease which will result in a compensation by her hormonal system to increase the amount of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) released. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatment have been shown to increase overall egg quality through creating a healthier reproductive environment for eggs to develop in. This in turn lowers FSH levels and increases the success rates with IVF and IUI, as well as increasing a woman’s chance for a natural pregnancy. Acupuncture treatment to help with increasing egg quality is usually effective in a 3-6 month period of continuous treatment and sometimes may take up to 12 months.
Traditional medicine and IVF
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a different emphasis on fertility than many modern western reproductive techniques such as IVF. When we compare the two approaches we can see clear differences but in a way where one compliments the other. For example within TCM we use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to help with things like increasing the quality of eggs and of the endometrium. Where as IVF treatments tend to focus on increasing the quantity of eggs and the thickening of the endometrium. TCM can increase a woman’s chances for fertility through increasing the overall quality of the entire reproductive system, while western medicine is very effective in increasing chances of fertility through increasing numbers.
TCM further contributes to good outcome in an IVF cycle through increasing ovarian response, increasing egg and follicle quality, reliving side effects of reproductive drugs, and in increasing implantation rates.
Acupuncture treatment for fertility
Acupuncture can be used throughout your entire menstrual cycle to help with each of the 4 phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulation, luteal.