Lin DU Specialist in Fertility and Pregnancy
How can acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine influence infertility?
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine affect the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis, thus balancing hormones. Meanwhile, treatments help improve ovarian function, promote ovulation, increases blood flow to the uterus, thicken the endometrial lining, which also gives a better chance of embryo implantation.
For male, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have shown that they can affect hormone levels and testicular blood flow. Chinese herbal medicine, in particular, offers a significant improvement in sperm count, motility, morphology and liquefaction, it can also treat varicocele and anti-sperm antibody.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can treat infertility due to:
For female:
Natural conception
Support for IVF, ICSI or IUI
Unexplained infertility
Irregular periods
Amenorrhea / Absent periods
PCOS
Endometriosis
High FSH
Low AMH
Premature ovarian failure
Luteal phase defect
High prolactin / Hyperprolactinemia
Annovulation
Uterine Fibroids
Ovarian dysfunction
Recurrent miscarriage
Fallopian tube blockage
For male:
Low sperm count
Poor sperm motility
Poor sperm morphology
Liquefaction problem
Low testosterone
Varicocele
Anti-sperm antibodies
When should the treatment start?
It takes at least 3 months for immature eggs to mature enough to be released at ovulation, and it takes the same amount of time for sperm to be developed mature. Therefore, at least 3 months should be given to prepare for conception.
Acupuncture for Pregnancy Care
The First Trimester: (0-12 weeks)
Weekly pregnancy acupuncture is highly recommended at this stage. During the first trimester, there is a risk of miscarriage and an even higher risk with IVF pregnancies or cases where there has been recurrent miscarriage. Acupuncture is also a great solution to morning sickness which may occur at this stage.
The Second Trimester: (13-28 weeks)
During this stage we only offer acupuncture on pregnancy-related symptoms. It is our best wishes that we don’t see you during this time. Still, bear in mind, acupuncture can be your choice in many cases.
The Third Trimester: (29-40 weeks)
There are two parts of protocol during this stage.
First, we continue the theme from the second trimester. Acupuncture is on demand for pregnancy-related symptoms. What’s worth mentioning here is the amazing effect of acupuncture on turning breech babies.
The second part, which is also a very important part, is pre-birth acupuncture. We highly recommend weekly acupuncture from week 36 onwards in the final 4 weeks of pregnancy.
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