TCM Diagnoses and Acupuncture Treatments for Infertility
When treating infertility cases it is imperative that the male partner receive a sperm analysis. Regardless, it may be beneficial for both partners to receive regular treatments.
5 Ways acupuncture can help boost fertility:
- Reduce stress hormones that interfere with ovulation
- Normalize hormones
- Increase blood flow to the uterus, improving the chances of a fertilized egg implanting.
- Improve ovulation cycles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which makes getting pregnant difficult.
- Improve pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Causes & Pathology:
Causes:
- Constitutional Deficiency – women with congenital KD deficiencies which may have arisen from being born prematurely or having had an unhealthy mother.
- Excessive Sexual Activity – particularly around puberty, but also in women who have had multiple child births a/or chronic deficiencies of Jing and Blood – can lead to malnourishment of the Bao Mai and Uterus.
- Cold a/or Damp – may arise from KD Yang Deficiency or chronic exposures to cold/damp during menstruation – can disrupt the Uterus.
- Stagnations of Qi a/or Blood, possibly with Phlegm/damp – can block the Uterus.
Differentiation of Syndrome of Infertility:
- Excess Pathologies
- Cold in the Uterus
- Blood Stagnation w/Phlegm (blocked fallopian tubes fall under this differentiation)
- Deficient Pathologies
- KD Yang Deficiency
- KD Yin Deficiency
- Blood Deficiency
Cold in the Uterus – Excess Condition
- Signs & Symptoms: Patient will likely appear pale, delayed menstruation w/dark dilute flow, pain a/or coldness of the lower abdomen which improves with the application of heat, aversion to cold, cold limbs, may also have weak back/knees a/or profuse clear urination.
- Tongue: Pale
- Pulse: Deep, slow
Blood Stagnation with Phlegm – Excess Condition
- Signs & Symptoms: Patient is likely to be overweight, irregular menstruation w/clotting, delayed most likely, chest a/or hypochondriac distention, irritability, palpitation, dizziness, profuse sticky leukorrhea.
- Tongue: White greasy coat with purple spots
- Pulse: Deep, wiry
KD Yang Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms: Irregular menstruation w/scanty pinkish Blood, weak back a/or knees, fatigue, dizziness.
- Tongue: Thin white coat
- Pulse: Deep, thin, particularly weak in the KD position
KD Yin Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms: Irregular menstruation, sore back, constipation, mallor flush, night sweats, heat in the 5 palms, insomnia, dry throat, dizziness, vertigo.
- Tongue: Red with no coat
- Pulse: Floating, empty, rapid
Blood Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms: Delayed menstruation w/scanty, pinkish flow, emaciation, sallow complexion, fatigue, dizziness, may also have palpitations a/or insomnia if HT Blood is deficient.
- Tongue: Pale, possibly swollen.
- Pulse: Deep, thin, weak.