What infertility conditions can you successfully treat with Functional Nutrition, Acupuncture, and Herbs?
Thin Uterine Lining – A thin uterine lining can make it difficult for the egg to implant. Acupuncture has been shown to increase blood flow to the uterine wall, which greatly supports implantation. support. Click here to read about how treatments can help imrpove the uterine lining.
Poor Egg Quality – Poor egg quality is a very common diagnosis for infertility, but while it sounds dire, the truth is that egg quality can be improved through acupuncture and other modalities. Poor egg quality is often a symptom of other imbalances that must be addressed. This can be especially pertinent if you have a regular menstrual cycle. Click here to read about improving poor egg quality.
Recurring Miscarriages – Chinese Medicine has 2000 years of written history in miscarriage prevention. Miscarriages from chromosomal defects can be corrected with a 3-6-month course of treatment before TTC again. Miscarriages due to progesterone deficiency often present as menstrual irregularities and are often corrected with acupuncture and herbs. Click here to read about recurring miscarriages and what can be done to prevent future occurrences.
Elevated FSH – Sometimes this is identified as low ovarian reserve. Similarly, from a Chinese Medicine perspective, we aren’t concerned about the diagnosis of poor egg quality. FSH is not a problem, but more of a symptom of a problem. If there is a regular menstrual cycle, this can often be corrected.
PCOS, Amenorrhea, or Anovulatory cycles – First, we need to bring the cycle into balance. As long as there have been non-medicated cycles with regularity, Chinese medicine can often correct these hormonal imbalances. The Western approach to infertility due to PCOS is to use Clomid or gonadotropins (Follistim, Gonadal-F) to stimulate follicle development. However, for some women, this can cause more imbalances. Chinese medicine is a much better approach because women with untreated PCOS have a much higher risk of miscarriage. Chinese medicine can help correct the hormonal imbalance of high androgen production that goes along with PCOS, which then allows Western ART methods to be used more safely. Click here to read about Chinese Medicine and PCOS.
Luteal Phase Defect – Luteal phase defect (LPD), also known as a corpus luteum defect, is controversial but does occasionally occur. If a woman knows the day she ovulates and her period starts less than 12 days later, that may be termed an LPD. The idea is that the corpus luteum is not maintaining adequate progesterone levels, so menstruation begins prematurely, preventing proper implantation. Acupuncture, nutrition, and herbal therapy are all effective methods for increasing progesterone levels, lengthening the luteal phase, and increasing the chances of implantation. This is typically an easy clinical fix.
Unexplained Infertility – One of the most frustrating prognoses in infertility is when it is simply deemed “unexplained.” When a woman has regular cycles and a man has a “normal” sperm analysis, there is often no clear explanation for why they are having difficulty conceiving. In Chinese Medicine, the word “unexplained” is never used, and diagnoses exist that are often not detected through common tests used in Western Medicine. The use of acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition unequivocally enhances outcomes in these cases.
How does Acupuncture improve fertility for women?
- Acupuncture may affect fertility, ovulation, and menstrual regularity by stimulating neurotransmitters that, in turn, increase GnRH.
- Acupuncture may stimulate blood flow by inhibiting central sympathetic nerve activity.
- Acupuncture may stimulate the production of endogenous opioids, which may inhibit the central nervous system’s outflow and the biological stress response.
Source: Cochrane et al, 2014
What percentage of infertility cases are due to poor sperm quality?
Among Reproductive Endocrinologists (REIs), it is generally accepted that up to 50% of infertility cases involve ‘male factor.’ About 30-35% of infertility cases are due to male factor (the same number as are due to female factor). Another 15-20% of cases involve both male and female factors.
How can male factor still be the cause if my husband’s sperm parameters are normal?
The tests used for ‘sperm testing’ are not specific enough to determine the actual quality of the sperm. It is sort of like determining the weather based on cloud cover.
There is more to sperm than just motility, viscosity, morphology, and count. One example is DNA Fragmentation, which can have a significant impact on fertility: High sperm DNA fragmentation does not appear to affect fertilization or the first or second embryo cleavage stages. So in the first several days after fertilization, blastocysts can grow. High sperm DNA fragmentation can affect embryo cleavage once the paternal genome is switched on, which can lead to miscarriage. DNA fragmentation levels are closely correlated with IUI, IVF, and ICSI miscarriage and pregnancy rates. DNA fragmentation is significantly higher in subfertile men.
High sperm DNA fragmentation is also found in men with normal semen parameters
What conditions require Western ART Fertility Intervention?
Pelvic adhesions: In cases of endometrial adhesions involving the tubes, polyps, and hydrosalpinx, surgery may be required. Even when surgery is necessary, however, it does not address the root cause of the pelvic adhesions, which is often an inflammatory metabolic imbalance. This is why it is very important not only to address any pelvic adhesions that may currently be present but also to maintain a regimen of herbs, acupuncture, and proper nutrition to correct root imbalances and prevent new adhesions from forming.
Advanced Maternal Age – The concept of advanced maternal age is a mix of myth and fact. While it is true that there is a point at which a woman can no longer conceive, there is no reason to set a cut-off point in the late thirties. Even if a woman is in her 40s and would like to conceive, treatment with herbs, acupuncture, and nutrition will often help make conception easier with IVF and her own eggs, as opposed to using a donor, which can be costly. We need to look at this on a case-by-case basis.
Late Menarche with Lack of Natural Cycles & Amenorrhea – If a woman cannot have a cycle without birth control, it is best to use Western ART technology. However, Chinese Medicine and nutritional intervention should be used to support IVF.
Other less common conditions: severe fibroids impinging the uterus or ovaries; congenital abnormalities such as a bicornuate uterus; antiphospholipid antibodies; repeated chromosomal abnormalities that do not respond to complementary medicine require specialized IVF; women with a history of thrombophilias should use both Western care for monitoring and complementary care for treatment.
I heard that research shows acupuncture helps with pre- and post-IVF transfers. Should I come to your office for treatment?
Probably not, unless you live near my office and have already had several acupuncture treatments with me. You are referring to this research study. However, this was done at IVF clinics, and women didn’t have to drive anywhere. In addition, several follow-up studies failed to reproduce the successful results. There are many possible reasons for the failed research results, but it is safe to say I would not experience your very first acupuncture treatment on the day of an IUI or IVF (which is what women did in the failed follow-up studies). If you have an acupuncturist you work with and find it helps you relax, and it is easy to get to their office, then doing a session before and after may be beneficial. Otherwise, do something else mellow that you enjoy and take the day off from work!
Can Environmental Factors Play a Role in Infertility?
Absolutely. Our environment turns our genes on and off. Our environment includes the food we eat, the air we breathe, the thoughts we think, the exercise we do, and the sun we sit in, etc. pigenome. Most diseases can be linked to environmental influences. Environmental factors can also play a role in infertility. Here is a great website regarding environmental issues and fertility:
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