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Classic Touch Acupuncture Brochure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infertility (male & female)

Infertility is a condition of the reproductive system resulting in the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected well-timed intercourse.

One in every six couples of childbearing age have a problem conceiving. Over 80% of all infertile couples can be helped to achieve pregnancy with proper treatment.

Infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated when infertility may be an issue.

 

Women’s

How can acupuncture help with fertility?

Acupuncture can help with all stages in the fertility journey from conception to delivery.

For couples who are trying naturally, acupuncture can help:
bulletRegulate the menses - this enables a couple to better predict ovulation, and it ensures that the woman ovulates at the optimal time.
bulletIncrease the blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the endometrial lining – this allows for a more hospitable environment for implantation.
bulletHelp relieve stress – A study done at the University of California in San Diego showed that high levels of stress can impair a woman’s fertility by as much as 93%

If you are going through ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology such as IUI, IVF, donor egg, etc), acupuncture can also help:
bulletRegulate the hormones (eg: elevated FSH level).
bulletIncrease the ovarian response and ovarian function to increase the number of follicles and quality of eggs produced.
bulletReduce the side effects of hormone treatments.
bulletIncrease and strengthen the immune system.
bulletImprove the success rate of IVF – a study done in Germany showed that the addition of two acupuncture treatments increased the success rate of IVF from 26% to 43%. (This was done with two, standardized treatments; done on the day of transfer. Some experts assert that a more thorough course of customized treatments could increase the chances of success by up to 60%).
bulletDecrease the chances of miscarriage and increase the rate of live birth. 

Once a woman is pregnant, acupuncture can help:

bulletRelieve morning sickness.
bulletAlleviate back pain.
bulletPrevent miscarriage.
bulletProvide anesthesia during delivery.
bulletHelp with post-partum pain and depression.
bulletRegulate lactation.
bulletDecrease the chances of miscarriage and increase the rate of live birth.

Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine, has been used for centuries to treat infertility. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can stimulate ovarian and follicular function. Additionally, it is shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.

Acupuncture can be used to treat any type of fertility disorder including spasmed tubes. Acupuncture is often combined with herbs to treat:
bulletElevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
bulletRepeated pregnancy loss
bulletUnexplained (idiopathic) infertility
bulletLuteal phase defect
bulletPolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

 
Clinical Research Data
 
bulletA Cornell University study, entitled Role of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Female Infertility, published in the December, 2002 issue of the medical journal Fertility & Sterility, reported that "the peripheral impact of acupuncture in improving uterine artery blood flow and hence endometrial thickness also provides encouraging data regarding its potential positive effect on implantation."
bulletIn a 2002 study, a group of women undergoing IVF received acupuncture treatment before and after the fertilized egg was transferred to the uterus. These women had a significantly higher pregnancy rate than another group of women undergoing IVF without acupuncture treatment. This study is documented in the publication entitled Influence of Acupuncture on the Pregnancy Rate in Patients Who Undergo Assisted Reproduction Therapy.
bulletIn European studies in the 1990s, electroacupuncture was shown to restore ovulation in anovulatory women with PCOS.
bulletClinical research data has shown that for women undergoing IVF/ICSI, luteal-phase acupuncture according to the princples of Traditional Chinese Medicine results in significantly higher pregnancy rates than placebo acupuncture. This study is outlined in the report Effect of Acupuncture on the Outcome of in vitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection: a Randomized, Prospective, Controlled Clinical Study.
 

 

Men’s

It is time that male fertility also be addressed as an important part of the overall fertility picture.  According to Acupuncture Today, October, 2005, Vol. 06, Issue 10: "In many cultures, women are unfairly blamed for the inability of a sexually active couple to conceive. In reality, men suffer from infertility issues just as frequently as women. According to statistics from the National Infertility Association between 35 percent and 40 percent of infertility problems among couples are actually caused by male conditions. Several factors may be responsible for male infertility, including low sperm count, abnormal sperm shape and size, and reduced motility. Lifestyle, genetics, and physiological changes can also raise or lower male fertility levels, and can significantly affect a man's ability to produce offspring..."

The average male sperm count has dropped 45% over the last few generations. The cause of this drastic decline has been linked to the increased exposure to environmental pollutants. Other factors include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and some prescription drugs. Cell phone usage has also been implicated in the decline and men hoping to impregnate their partners should avoid wearing cell phones on their belt.

Regardless of the TCM diagnosis, the quality and quantity of sperm and semen can be improved with Chinese medicine and appropriate lifestyle changes. Because it takes 2-3 months for sperm to mature, treatment should persist for at least this long. Acupuncture has been shown to be very effective to address sperm motility. Acupuncture is also beneficial to help relax the patient during what can become a very frustrating time in a couple’s relationship.

Brochure:
bulletMale Infertility & Subfertility
 
Research/Study:
bullet Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility Pei J, Strehler E, Noss U, Abt M, Piomboni P, Baccetti B, Sterzik.

 

Cultivate the soil before planting the seed

While infertility may appear to be the core problem, it is actually the manifestation of a deeper underlying imbalance. Through our approach of creating a healthy and fertile body, we correct the imbalance and leave it to the body to do what it was created to do: live in vitality and be fertile. Our overall goal is to prepare the body for conception and pregnancy.

Architects will tell you that the foundation is the most important aspect of a building or a home. Much like everything in life, the key to successful conception is also a strong foundation. While it is important to live a healthy lifestyle once you have conceived, it is even more important to do so during the 3 months leading up to conception, since this period will determine the health of the sperm and egg that will eventually become your child.

There exists a Chinese parable about "cultivating the soil before you plant the seed." This parable with respect to infertility is one of the cornerstones of our approach. It can be better appreciated by using the following example.

You have a very health plant growing in a healthy pot of nutrient rich soil. You also have an unhealthy-sickly looking plant that is shriveling up in poor quality overly dried soil. You switch the two plants from their respective pots and you place the shriveled plant in the healthy, moist soil and you maintain the soil by watering and adding nutrients to it. You place the healthy plant in the dried up soil and you neglect it so the soil remains dry and lacking nutrients.
 
What do you think would happen to the two plants?

There is a good chance that the healthy plant will begin to shrivel and die in the poor soil and the sick plant will recover in the nutrient rich soil. We learn from this story that the health of the plant is dependent on the quality of the soil. At our clinic we concern ourselves with cultivating your soil. We do this by creating a healthy and optimum body environment in each couple, which optimizes the quality of the egg and sperm at conception, as well as providing a blood rich uterine lining favorable for implantation and for nourish a growing fetus for the full 9 months.

 

 

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