In the United States, women are more often waiting until their late 20’s to mid 30’s before they decide they are ready to have children. This choice has been made for a variety of reasons, which are often very good ones, that revolve around education advancement, job growth, years spent traveling after college, or simply waiting until they have found a partner who matches them in both financial and emotional maturity. Many of these new opportunities are the beneficial upsides of the women’s liberation movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s, which allowed the role of women in the work environment to grow dramatically, and should be celebrated as valuable individual achievements.
As a consequence of the delayed attempts at getting pregnant, the United States has seen a growth in the number of women, and their male partners, who are struggling to achieve pregnancy. The Centers for Disease Control list that 10.9% of women ages 15-44 will have an impaired ability to become pregnant. Of those women ages 15-44, a full 6% will be ruled infertile as defined by the inability to become pregnant after one year of unprotected sexual contact. The CDC found that 7.5% of all men will report seeking help for infertility, with males representing roughly 30% of all causes of infertility. As a result more couples are turning to some method of therapy to improve their chances of conception which may include hormonal therapy, Assisted Reproductive Therapies, and at an increasing percentage are turning towards Chinese Medicine.
Western Reproductive Endocrinologist do very well with many couples seeking to become pregnant and in women under 35, success rates are particularly good. However, because the reputation of these clinics is based heavily on their statistical success rates, many shy away from working with women that are a older, or who they feel may not have as much of a chance due to poor follicle counts or a history of repeat miscarriages. Chinese medicine can be a valuable tool on it’s own in the pursuit of a pregnancy, and it can be made even more powerful in its complimentary role to the the efforts of the Gynecologist or Endocrinologist.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can regulate the menstrual cycle, address pain and emotional volatility, potentially resolve a lack of ovulation, and improve the levels of key factors such as Follicle Stimulating Hormone Progesterone. Approaching your fertility through Chinese medicine is many times more affordable than western reproductive therapies; for example, In Vitro Fertilization can run over $12,000. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine often yield similar results per age group, in the absence of structural abnormalities which require surgery. It is less invasive, less inducing of side effects, and generally less stressful do to its reduced cost in comparison. As an additional benefit, should one decide on using Assisted Reproductive Technology, acupuncture can further increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, while reducing stress and anxiety, something most Endocrinologist would happily encourage a patient to pursue.
This is an area of specialty in my practice, and all patients are encouraged to seek treatment from acupuncturist who specialize in the field. If one was having heart problems, one would likely see a Cardiologist over a Generalist for their care and treatment. Our clinic provides our patients with the assurance that we will be able to speak the language of your western medical practitioners, and help guide you through this process. In my desire to provide a higher level of care for women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Therapies, I completed the Board Certified process with American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine in 2013.
