Chinese medicine and fertility have only in recent years been seen in western countries to have anything to do with each other. The breakthrough came in 2002, when a report from a group of Chinese and German scientists revealed that patients who had acupuncture treatment to complement their IVF treatment increased their success rate by around 50 per cent.
What does that mean to you? If you’re undergoing IVF treatment, or considering doing so, then you can increase your chances of success by yourself undergoing acupuncture treatment before and during the IVF treatment.
But what if you don’t intend to have IVF treatment, or can’t afford it? Will acupuncture assist you in regaining your fertility so you can conceive naturally? And is there any other aspect of Chinese medicine that you ought to consider?Facial acupuncture
In both cases the usual answer is going to be “yes”. Chinese medicine incorporates herbalism as well. But before you dash off to your local Chinese herbalist or acupuncturist, consider the following. The patients who were the subjects of the 2002 study were given the very best treatments, both of IVF and acupuncture. You need to make sure that you will also receive high quality treatment. Start by making discreet enquiries about Chinese medical practitioners, both herbalists and acupuncturists, who specialise in fertility issues.
Herbalism and acupuncture go together. The most commonly used herbs in Chinese medicine are angelica, astragalus, and American ginseng. Angelica improves the quality of the blood and circulatory system, astragalus is a healing herb which gives the immune system a boost and also helps overcome stress, and American ginseng also helps the immune system as well as the nervous system.
These must be administered as an aid to the acupuncture treatment that you undergo. It’s important, therefore, that you have attention from experienced practitioners who specialise in their respective fields of herbalism and acupuncture, and who co-ordinate their treatments so they are complementary to each other.
Your herbal treatment must be used to balance your diet, and more especially to ensure that you eat sufficient essential fatty acids and balance them with alkaline foods. This has been shown, when done properly, to greatly improve fertility in both men and women. A major factor in infertility in recent times is a poor diet of junk food and hastily eaten snacks lacking in real sustenance.
A proper diet can help to settle down the digestive system and restore to full strength the immune system, which is closely linked to the reproductive system and fertility. Acupuncture treatment can help take the process further, not least by dealing with stress.