Fertility and Oriental Medicine
When people ask me the question "What is Acupuncture good for?", I always reply without hesitation, "It is great for treatment of menstrual disorders". In my 18 years of practice as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, I have seen amazing clinical results in the treatment of women's disorders, such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, menopausal syndrome and infertility.
Recently, the use of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine combined with conventional medical treatment of infertility has gained popularity. Some couples who are meeting challenges in an effort to achieve pregnancy are exploring every treatment option available. With the advent of new acupuncture research for the treatment of infertility, couples are finding that Acupuncture offers new ways to increase their chances of getting pregnant.
Chinese Medicine, which is over 2,000 years old, spoke about infertility, and described in detail a means to correct or remedy functional problems leading to infertility. Traditionally, the practice of medicine in China's culture was more preventative than reactive as is in most western cultures. It is said in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, "to administer medicines to those who have already become ill, is likened to a man who tries to dig a well after he has become thirsty". In other words, one could say that it is easier to remedy a problem before it exists, instead of waiting till the problem is already ingrained before beginning treatment.
Although it is a good thing that couples needing medical assistance are helped by using Chinese Medicine, it would be more beneficial if they were to seek Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine earlier in their journey. There is another old saying once coined by a wise sage that succinctly outlines my point, "cultivate the soil before planting the seed."
Analogously, we'll say that the woman refers to "the soil". A practitioner of Chinese Medicine does a comprehensive assessment for women experiencing difficulty with their menstrual cycle, or with getting pregnant. They may find some energetic, or functional imbalances in which case they would initiate treatment. By doing this, they can feasibly prevent having to undergo more invasive treatments.
Even though preventative therapy is considered to be paramount in achieving a successful pregnancy, there is still much that can be done to help those couples seeking help even after they've begun conventional medical treatments such as the use of follicle stimulating medications, and IVF. A recent clinical outcomes study we did at our clinic revealed that we had a 75% success rate using Acupuncture in conjunction with couples engaged in IVF.
At my office at the Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, couples are evaluated and assessed, then given an individualized treatment plan that may include some, or all of the following modalities: Acupuncture, Herbal Prescriptions, Massage Therapy (including teaching "Couples Massage"), and Mind/Body Fertility Groups where they can learn some stress reduction techniques. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. Treatment rooms are very "homey" in appearance and seem more like a favorite room one might have in their house.
