Frequently Asked Questions about Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
I’ve heard that your practice is dedicated to treating infertility. Why do you specialize in treating infertility? When I started my practice, like most practitioners of acupuncture, I had a general practice. I had one patient who was suffering from infertility. She had been trying to conceive for three years, with an FSH of 40. She was forty-two. After treating her for three months she burst through my door crying! I didn’t know what to think. I was startled and confused until she started laughing and informed me that she was pregnant! I have a photograph of her little boy on my office wall. That moment changed her life and mine. It was then that I decided to devote myself to helping couples to have the most important thing in their lives; kids!
What types of infertility can acupuncture and herbal medicine treat? We have used our proprietary acupuncture and herbal medicine protocols to successfully treat infertility due to hormonal imbalances such as elevated FSH as well as luteal phase defect, PCOS, endometriosis, thin lining, low ovarian reserve and poor egg quality. We have also seen excellent results when treating those with clotting disorders and immunological pathologies including but not limited to activated NK cells and antiphospholipid antibodies, Factor V Leiden, dual gene variant MTHFR with hypehomocysteinemia. We continue to yield impressive improvements when treating poor motility, poor morphology and low sperm count and sperm DNA fragmentation. There was a study done at Harvard which showed that stress may reduce the function of the hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-ovarian axis, thus contributing to infertility. This pathomechansim can be explained thus: Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to cause vaso and arterial constriction which results in degradation of blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. Arterial constriction is seen at the uterine artery and ovarian arteries. If fact, when a transvaginal Doppler exam is performed and the uterine artery impedance is greater than 3, pregnancy will not be achieved. Beta-endorphins released via acupuncture intervention interrupts the negative activity of the sympathetic nervous system causing dilation of the arteries facilitating increased blood flow to the lining and ovaries. Thus, the lining thickens and there is often improved egg quality. This is sometimes all it takes to achieve a viable pregnancy.
Who is your typical patient? We have female and male patients. Typically, they are between the ages of thirty-two to forty-two. Many want to try acupuncture and herbal medicine before considering the utilization of Assisted Reproductive Technological intervention; many want to use acupuncture and herbal medicine in conjunction with their A.R.T. process. As the reputation of our success grows so to has our practice.
Should my husband be treated? If your hubby has low sperm count, poor morphology, poor motility and/or sperm DNA fragmentation he is a good candidate for treatment.
How does acupuncture help treat infertility? Acupuncture and herbal medicine work in two entirely different ways. Acupuncture invigorates or enhances the circulation of blood and energy throughout the body. This is extremely important for those individuals who are having difficulty conceiving. Some manifestations of obstructed flow of blood are endometriosis, blocked tubes, fibroids, clotting in the menstruate, premenstrual lower abdominal aching or sharp pain, sharp and stabbing pain over the ovaries during ovulation, menstruation or ovulation related headaches, breast aching, extreme emotional lability and cold hands and feet. While the above signs and symptoms in and of themselves will not necessarily render one infertile, they do reveal internal blockages of energy and blood which may contribute to infertility.
Source: Acupuncture Arlington