Common Fertility Problems
Endometriosis
According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, endometriosis is a disease which is caused by the stagnation of qi and blood with toxic heat manifesting in the reproductive environment. This is actually amazingly similar to the Western medical concept of endometriosis which is an inflammatory as well as an autoimmune disorder. In fact, any women with endometriosis should, based upon my clinical experience, be tested for other autoimmune markers that can negatively affect her chances of getting or staying pregnant. When there is one confirmed autoimmune disease diagnosed, others are often present. Fortunately, all of these disorders can usually be treated with Western medicine and complementary medicine. Our East meets West approach significantly helps to achieve pregnancy and to reduce miscarriage rates. Remember: good medicine is about proper diagnosis, not continued IVFs which fail for ‘no apparent reason.'
HIGH FSH
Elevated FSH
Women are born with all the eggs that they will ever have, and they lose them constantly throughout life until menopause when few remain.
The term "ovarian reserve" is useful in the field of reproductive medicine. It is an estimate of the reserve of the woman's ovaries, her remaining egg supply. A woman's ovarian reserve is her remaining fertility potential.
There are several ways to attempt to predict egg quantity and quality as well as trying to estimate chances for conception with various forms of fertility treatment. Female age and day 3 FSH levels are two very important variables. The response of the ovaries to ovarian stimulation with injectable gonadotropins (FSH) is another very important variable that affects the overall chance for conception when in vitro fertilization is attempted.
Blood transports hormones from the endocrine system to target cells or organs within the body, including the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary and ovaries, the three essential organs necessary to achieve pregnancy. At The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and fertility massage are used specifically to increase blood flow to the ovaries and the uterine lining thereby improving reproductive rates.
If FSH is elevated, the first order of business should be to increase and enhance blood flow to the reproductive organs so that proper hormonal distribution the pelvic bowl is accomplished. At The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness, by employing acupuncture and our proprietary herbal formulas, we have successfully increased blood circulation to the ovaries and lowered FSH levels while simultaneously keeping estradiol (E2) between 25 and 65pg/ml. In other words, our treatments don't falsely suppress FSH levels, but rather, regulate them.
Further, we have repeatedly seen a reduction in the uterine artery pulsatility index after treatment with acupuncture and herbs. The pulsatility index is a method of determining the amount of blood flow to the uterus via the uterine arteries. The pulsatility index should be < 3 and can be ascertained through a transvaginal ultrasound examination with a color doppler. Your gynecologist or reproductive endocrinologist can often perform this test. Women whose pulsatility index is >3 rarely achieve conception.
Via the release of beta-endorphins from the brain, the sympathetic nervous system is affected and vascular modulation occurs with dilation of the uterine arteries, thereby reducing uterine artery impedance and increasing blood flow to the reproductive environment.
Antral Follicles
Antral follicles are small follicles (about 2-8 mm in diameter) that can be seen, measured and counted with ultrasound. Antral follicles are also referred to as resting follicles. Vaginal ultrasound is the best way to accurately assess and count these small structures. In my opinion, the antral follicle counts (in conjunction with female age) are by far the best tool that is currently available for estimating ovarian reserve and/or a woman's chances for conceiving with in vitro fertilization.
Presumably, the number of antral follicles visible on ultrasound is indicative of the relative number of microscopic (and sound asleep) primordial follicles remaining in the ovary. Each primordial follicle contains an immature egg that can potentially develop in the future. By stimulating blood flow to these follicles with our proprietary protocols, their health can be improved and their maturation can be facilitated.
As mentioned above, we now have scientific evidence that blood flow to the entire pelvic environment is increased through the utilization of acupuncture, herbal medicine and fertility massage. The consensus of Western physicians is that when there are only a few antral follicles visible, there are less eggs remaining as compared to when there are more antral follicles visible.
Our view, based on clinical experience, is that even though there may be a ‘few' antral follicles present, only one ‘good' one is required for conception, and the clinical presentation of poor ovarian reserve (few antral follicles) often coexists with diminished egg-quality. By enhancing blood flow to the ovaries we have repeatedly seen improved egg quality, even in women with low ovarian reserve. Remember, only one good egg is necessary for conception.
PCOS
Though I completely believe in, trust, recommend and value Western medicine, the Western medical approach, though often effective is frequently over-simplified. For example, every PCOS patient who is trying-to-conceive gets treated with clomid no matter the differentiating factors between patients.
Traditional Chinese medicine is extremely elegant and empowers the practitioner to exactly address each and every part of the patient and their illness including the emotional aspect.
Not only are there herbs and acupuncture points that can be employed to address the depression and anxiety that often accompany those facing this and other health challenges, but the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine himself or herself is imbued with healing love and a nurturing soul and is always prepared to bestow this upon his or her patient. The relationship between practitioner and patient is, in and of itself clinically valuable.
Diagnosis according to Traditional Chinese medicine
Each patient is diagnosed according to the ‘Four Examinations' and the pattern differentiation derived from it; not according to their disease.
In traditional Chinese medicine, typically, diseases are not treated, but ‘patterns of disharmony' are. PCOS is a ‘disease'. So, in treating ten women with PCOS, they may all receive different treatment protocols because even though their disease is the same, they may, nonetheless, have ten different patterns of disharmony. This is why ‘one-size-fits-all' never works in Chinese medicine and generally speaking just doesn't work clinically. At The FertilitySpa we have seen excellent results in regulating menses and facilitating ovulation in the PCOS patient.
Other Problems Treated
Immunologically mediated infertility and repeated miscarriage
Thrombophilic (blood clotting) disorders causing repeated miscarriage
Thin lining (implantation failure)
Low sperm count, poor morphology, poor motility, sperm DNA fragmentation
Unexplained infertility
Age related infertility (ovarian resistance)
Amenorrhea
Obesity (excess androgen and estrogen levels)
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