The female body is a bit like a beautiful pear tree. When it's growing and healthy it's capable of producing lots of fruit. But if there's not enough rain, or nutrients in the soil, it might not even be able to flower. Just like some women can't get or stay pregnant.

Even young women can be infertile. One out of 20 women under age 24 can have issues, and by the time a woman reaches 40 years old, the number skyrockets to one in four. There are actually two types of infertility. Women who have miscarried multiple times are also suffering from a type of infertility. About 1 percent of women experience this second type.

In Western. medicine a couple is considered infertile if pregnancy hasn't occurred within a year of unprotected sex. This means that couples, even if they intuitively know something is amiss, end up waiting a full year before their concerns are taken seriously and treated.

Unlike Western medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) does not have a sharp cut-off for fertility versus infertility. It teaches that a person’s intuition about his or her own body is valid. Concerns about fertility should be addressed at any time.  

Perhaps because ancient Chinese doctors were tasked with making sure the Emperor had an heir, gynecology and obstetrics has been a field of study in TCM for thousands of years. 

Chinese medicine has very definite ideas about what indicates reproductive health. If a woman has very difficult periods, highly irregular cycles or scanty blood flow, she may indeed have more trouble getting pregnant. Fortunately, both acupuncture and herbal formulas can regulate those issues, and there is certainly no reason to wait. 

A TCM practitioner uses both acupuncture and herbs to regulate a woman’s or man’s qi, jing, yin and yang. Think of qi as life force energy, jing as genetics, yin as the feminine aspect of a person and yang as the male aspect. Both men and women have qi, jing, yin and yang. When these substances are out of balance, deficient or not circulating correctly, infertility can result. 

TCM is all about balance, and so is the reproductive system. The yin phase of a women's cycle is the follicular phase. The yang portion is the luteal phase. The right number of days between the cycle lets us know that both the luteal and follicular, (i.e., the yin and yang phases of the cycle are in sync). Ovulation is dependent on qi, yin and jing, and the right amount of mid-cycle discharge and temperature spike lets us know ovulation is occurring. Blood flow is dependent on qi and yang, and the right amount of blood flow tells us the endometrial lining is sufficient to support an embryo. These direct correspondences make Chinese medicine an excellent therapy for correcting menstrual and fertility issues.  

Habitual miscarriage is most commonly due to issues with qi and jing. If a woman has this issue, as soon as she knows she is pregnant she should visit an acupuncturist for treatment.

TCM is also an important add-on for couples already involved in ART (assisted reproductive technologies) like IVF (in-vitro fertilization) or AI (artificial insemination), etc. Multiple studies have demonstrated that using acupuncture in conjunction with ART can improve outcomes by as much as 40 percent. Considering how expensive and how emotionally draining ART—particularly IVF—can be, adding acupuncture to the treatment plan may help ensure that a couple only has to go through the process once.

Male issues can play a part, too. Approximately 30 percent of fertility issues are actually due to the male partner. Sperm abnormalities can happen to anyone. Fortunately, acupuncture, herbs and diet changes can help, usually within two months. 

For both men and women, acupuncture is relaxing and reduces stress and anxiety, which are well known to impair fertility.

Even before a woman is ready to start a family, it’s important to make sure the reproductive functions are working smoothly so there’s no time wasted when the right time comes.

 

Anaya Palay, a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, also provides prenatal and postnatal care. She practices at Calhoun Chiropractic, at Hwy. 79 and Back Beach Rd. For more information, call 850-230-1288 or email [email protected].