Many women experience difficulty in conceiving and statistical research has confirmed that the problem is increasing. An increase in males becoming sterile only compounds the problem. One of the reasons for the increase in women being infertile is because of the use of the contraceptive pill. From a Chinese medicine perspective, oral contraceptive pills are regarded as being cold and damp to the body and lead to what is called a cold uterus. Even after many years of stopping the pill, these energetic imbalances are still present, making a normal conception difficult.
Another reason for an increase in infertility is due to the fact that many women are choosing to have children later on in life, often after 35 years of age. Just as modern bio medicine has found that the aging process hinders the conception process because of diminishing hormones; traditional Chinese medicine theories state that the aging progress results in a weakening of the Kidney energy, which controls the reproductive system. Over the centuries, Chinese medicine practitioners have developed treatments to promote fertility and have used many different acupuncture points and Chinese herbal medicines to this effect. In modern day China, the hospitals have specialist fertility wards where traditional Chinese medicine practitioners work as specialists in this field. Much research is constantly underway finding methods to enhance the use of acupuncture and or herbal medicine to improve fertility.
FAQ
Can I have acupuncture if I am going under a program of IVF?
- Yes, in fact The British Medical Journal has reported that research has confirmed that having acupuncture and IVF can actually increase the chances of falling pregnant significantly.
I have been told by my doctor/nurse that I should not have Chinese herbs while using fertility drugs such as Clomafine or about to undertake a course of IVF. Is this the case?
- Thousands of people everyday in China are prescribed and use Chinese herbal medicine whilst concurrently undergoing modern pharmaceutical fertility medications and IVF. 30 years ago most doctors in the West told their patients that acupuncture didn’t work or was dangerous, yet it is now part of main stream medicine and taught at degree level in Universities.
Further reading:
- Journal article about “Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Contraceptive Pill” by Gavin Hurlimann, Auckland TCM practitioner.