Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient system of holistic health care that seeks to balance qi (pronounced “chee”), or vital life-force energy, in order to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental and physical state to achieve optimal health. This ancient medical art recognizes the entire body-mind as an interconnected, interrelated system of flowing energy and incorporates an arsenal of approaches that encourages the restoration of the body to a state of balance. New research has demonstrated that Traditional Chinese Medicine – particularly the use of acupuncture (the insertion and manipulation of hair-thin, sterile, disposable needles into specific sites on the body) – is of great value in addressing fertility issues.

TCM Complements In-Vitro Fertilization
    The use of acupuncture and TCM in the treatment of infertility has been widely popularized by recent studies showing that acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy improves in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Patients in this study received acupuncture treatments both before and after the IVF procedure, with pregnancy success rates in the acupuncture group at 42.5 percent compared to those without it at 26.3 percent (Fertility/Sterility, 2002). Researchers speculate that increased circulation of uterine blood flow with acupuncture is responsible for the improved success rate of IVF, although they are yet to discover the exact mechanism.

    IVF is a procedure that requires a considerable financial commitment from the patient, with an average cost of around $8,000, and no guarantee of success. It is costly both financially and emotionally, as anyone who has been through the process can attest. Along with the financial burden, there are health risks associated with the required medications, the long-term effects of which are presently unknown. Due to the high cost of IVF and the hormonally induced emotional and physical roller-coaster endured by the patient, many women choose to seek a gentler and more natural approach to fertility.

     While the IVF and acupuncture study shows how eastern and western medicine may work synergistically, Traditional Chinese Medicine can effectively address infertility without using prescription drugs and invasive procedures. TCM improves general health and can establish or re-establish the menstrual cycle to conform to a normal rhythm. Whether in the form of acupuncture or herbal medicine, TCM works slowly. It can take three to six months and sometimes longer to regulate the menstrual cycle. However, the resulting balance that TCM brings to the patient's overall well being can be invaluable, particularly in the fertility field.

Attaching moxa to an acupuncture needle. Moxa is mugwort, an herb, which is burned to heat the acupuncture point. Note the smoke on the inserted needle from the lit moxa.

A Seed Only Sprouts In Fertile Ground
    There is an old saying in Chinese Medicine, “A seed only sprouts in fertile ground,” meaning pregnancy will occur naturally and easily if the body is functioning in a state of relative balance. In comparison, western medicine aggressively focuses on achieving pregnancy at all costs. Many women go to the acupuncturist's office prior to IVF in order to improve their response to drug therapy and decrease their susceptibility to its side effects; however, success often is achieved in their attempts to become pregnant from TCM alone.

    For example, one patient, whose IVF cycle had been canceled in a previous attempt due to thin uterine lining and underdeveloped follicles, began acupuncture treatment three months before her next scheduled IVF. Seemingly miraculous, she became pregnant the month before her IVF and was able to cancel the procedure. Often women go to the TCM office with a year of trying on their own behind them, plus one or more failed IVF cycles. Pregnancy is commonplace at acupuncture fertility offices where patients are in treatment for six months to a year when they are compliant and consistent with treatment.

    As a pleasant adjunct, acupuncture treatments are very relaxing, promote circulation and relieve tension. This effect allows blood to flow freely throughout the body, bringing nutrition and hormonal messages via the blood to the ovaries and follicles. Increased circulation through the uterine arteries can benefit egg quality and improve the thickness of the uterine lining into which an embryo implants. In contrast, western medicine utilizes proliferative drugs to increase egg quantity, without improving egg quality.

Beating the “Biological Clock”
    Some doctors tell women to get pregnant before it is “too late.” However, these women may not even have made the first small investment in themselves. For example, one patient was told by her physician that she was of advanced maternal age at 38 years old. Following a poor response to fertility drugs, her physician told her to consider an egg donor or adoption. Disappointed, the patient decided to explore acupuncture. She also gave up coffee and quit her stressful job as a flight attendant. By leaving her job, her sleep schedule became more regular, she had more time to cook nutritious food, and although she worried about finances, she felt empowered by having taken charge of her own health.

   Following her lifestyle changes and after beginning treatment, the patient soon noticed her irritable bowel syndrome symptoms were diminished, her entire demeanor changed and her complexion became rosy instead of dry and pale. Her menstrual flow improved in quality and amount and her premenstrual symptoms (PMS) resolved. This transformation took place over a five-month period. During the sixth month of acupuncture treatment, she became pregnant. The patient was then 39 years old.

The Body-Mind Connection
    The body-mind concept is vastly important within the framework of Chinese Medicine. TCM evaluates both physical and mental factors when assessing and treating patients. For example, with fertility issues, practitioners often utilize basal body temperature graphs to regulate the cycle or gain an understanding of where the menstrual cycle may be failing. However, practitioners also evaluate the many factors, such as emotional stress, nutrition (or lack thereof), age and the residual effects of prescription drugs such as birth-control pills or antidepressants that influence basal body temperature during the cycle.

Acupuncture can also help once a woman has become pregnant. These include: • morning sickness • high blood pressure • back ache • correction of breech birth presentation • labor induction When a couple has trouble with conception, men may also seek the assistance of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Studies of men utilizing acupuncture have demonstrated increases in both quality and quantity of sperm produced.

  In assessment and treatment, practitioners of TCM seriously consider the role emotions play in the patient's physiological processes. Many women feel devastated after exhausting their financial and emotional resources in an effort to conceive by means of assisted reproductive technology. Emotions associated specifically with patients facing fertility issues range from frustration to sadness, disappointment to anger and of course, quite common is grief. In Chinese Medicine, patients' emotional health is as important as their physical health. In fact, the two are inseparable.

   A patient had been trying through many cycles to achieve pregnancy through using chlomid, a fertility-enhancing drug. The efforts were unsuccessful, so her physician suggested moving on to injectible drugs that were stronger. She declined because of the negative side effects she had experienced with chlomid. It had made her moody to the point where her husband suggested they abandon the idea of becoming parents. She cried easily, had difficulty concentrating and suffered regularly from insomnia and night sweats. She felt irritable around coworkers and family alike. She began acupuncture treatments, along with counseling, for her depression. She soon felt better and a few months later, spontaneously became pregnant without any fertility drugs.

    For many, specialized fertility counseling proves invaluable. Under stress, hormones can have a negative influence on the menstrual cycle. Some counselors tell patients that they “just need to relax” but fail to elaborate. Psychotherapists who educate their clients about how to manage their stress contribute greatly to the process of achieving full fertility potential. Participation in a support group such as Resolve, a national organization, can also help women facing fertility issues. Fertility patients also benefit by incorporating daily coping strategies such as yoga, meditation or deep-breathing exercises into a general plan for overall good health. According to Chinese Medicine, physical exercise calms the mind and increases blood circulation. Interestingly however, exercises that focus on tightening the abdominal area are discouraged because they can result in decreasing blood flow to the abdomen.

More Options Can Mean Greater Success
    Traditional Chinese Medicine can be used either in conjunction with western-treatment strategies or independently. Especially when a couple experiences trouble conceiving, it is helpful to explore various options as well as to weigh the benefits against all the costs – not only dollars but in emotional and mental impact as well. The financial obligation for a couple to pursue TCM varies greatly due to the individual diagnosis, course of treatment and response. However, the overall price is significantly lower than IVF. Exploring options allows the couple to feel more in control and increases the likelihood of finding the best possible outcome. TCM offers the patient a body-mind strategy that increases overall balanced health and the likelihood of conceiving.

For further information please log on to the web site www.clevelandacupuncture.com or www.easternharmonyclinic.com. Anne Kinchen, R.Ac. graduated from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, California and was one of the first acupuncturists licensed to practice in Ohio. She has since received additional training in the use of acupuncture for women's health and fertility issues. She maintains offices in Cleveland and Youngstown. For more information, call her at (216) 795-1048 or (330) 746-7310 or through her website, www.clevelandacupuncture.com.

Bob Wachsberger is a Reiki master, energy worker and freelance writer. He also is Anne's office manager and webmaster.