Infertility - Chinese Medicine versus IVF Treatments

Standard ‘In Vitro Fertilization’ (IVF) is an advanced fertility technique whereby egg cells are fertilized outside the mother's body. The treatment involves the administration of fertility drugs, and carefully monitoring the mother’s egg production. Once eggs are collected and tested, they are placed in a culture dish or test-tube and mixed with sperm. A number of fertilized eggs or embryos are then transferred to the mother’s womb, where they, if the process was successful, will remain for the duration of the pregnancy.

In the past few years "Acupuncture and IVF" have become heavily discussed topics. Unfortunately, with this determined focus on acupuncture as an addition to IVF, the contribution all aspects of Chinese Medicine can deliver to the reproductive health crisis has slowly become a backdrop.

Although it may seem unusual to the Western world, to use acupuncture and medicinal plants or herbs to treat infertility, Chinese Medicine has a long history of successful results to show for it, and not just in China. Contrary to modern-day medicine where the human body is dissected into different parts, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) focuses on the entire body as an entity, which also includes mind and spirit. This means improving a patient’s overall health and quality of life, and not just individual body parts.

Extensive studies have shown that Chinese Medicine is most effective in fertility issues, when it is used during the preconception period, and many patients, who tried IVF numerous times unsuccessfully, did become pregnant soon thereafter when receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment. By using acupuncture the color of women's ovaries no longer was cloudy, but had turned clear and bright. The follicles doubled in number and the uterine lining had become thicker and healthier.

Records indicate that herbal infertility treatment - with the purpose of correcting a functional or organic problem - does not consists of the application of a single plant, but rather, more than 150 different herbs, usually prepared in complex formulas, and comprised of a variety of special ingredients. Although the outcome of any given treatment can never be fully predicted, clinical studies conducted in China have indicated that, for both male and female, and in about 70% of all infertility cases, Chinese herbs were the preferred method of treatment to achieve pregnancy or restore fertility. This would definitely not have been the case, if the success rate of Chinese Medicine in fertility treatment had not already been established throughout the centuries.

With the use of herbal medicine a male patient’s sperm count can increase drastically and its quality be significantly improved. Research furthermore showed that the healthier a male is at conception, the healthier his sperm is, and therefore producing stronger embryos. In general, unhealthy males, including smokers, alcoholics, and drug abusers will produce weaker embryos.
Chinese Medicine can advance fertility and pregnancy rates by:

• regulating the menstrual cycle
• improving ovarian production and healthier eggs
• overcoming hormonal imbalances, which may lead to the production of larger numbers of follicles
• boosting the blood flow to the uterus and increasing the thickness of the uterine lining
• preventing the uterus from contracting
• easing tubal obstructions to allow fertilization
• invigorating the sperm, raising sperm count and motility
• reversing ejaculatory defects and erectile dysfunction
• lessening the side effects of drugs used in IVF and other conventional medicine
• eliminating immune system incompatibilities
• decreasing and preventing the chances of miscarriage
• reducing stress levels and stress related disorders

Chinese Medicine represents a natural way of healing, while IVF is an artificial infertility treatment process. Whichever fertility care system will be helpful in preventing or easing infertility will depend on several factors, including the overall health of the patients, as well as affordability, with IVF usually being more expensive. Like with many things in life, it will be up to each individual patient to carefully choose which fertility procedure he or she wants to try and in some cases a combination of both systems, merged with acupuncture, may actually lead to a successful and happy pregnancy.

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