For those of you, both men and women who are on the journey
of fertility it can be mentally, physically and emotionally challenging.
Support for your health during this time is essential to manage the stress and
to get the best fertility outcomes.
Many of you are up to date, if not information overloaded from
both Western and possibly alternative therapies on offer. However, I want to
share my view, one you may not have considered yet, which combines Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Functional medicine.
What does this type of supportive therapy look like?
Firstly clear the canvas, start from scratch, a new updated
set of bloods can be done after a thorough first visit and physical exam.
Perhaps including tests you haven’t done before, like DNA panels, or the DUTCH
test for hormone metabolites. For men it’s a must that you do a current sperm
analysis but you also need to check on your overall health status, glucose, Vit
d, iron levels etc. This is the Functional medicine view looking for the answer
“Why is fertility a struggle?”
Once we gather information and collect the data about you,
your unique picture, I examine your health from a TCM point of view too. I look
at tongue and pulse diagnosis to diagnose your TCM syndrome picture. In TCM,
the energy of the body that circulates all over is called qi. Specifically for reproductive health in men and women the qi of
the Kidneys is most important for developing healthy sperm and eggs. When we
are young our Kidney qi is strong and that vitality starts to wane. For women in block years of 7’s so by 28 we
are at our fertile peak and by 35 it starts to decline. In men it is in 8’s so
a male’s fertile prime is 34. After these ages both men and women need to
increase the Kidney qi in the body in order to maintain healthy fertility. In
TCM we also focus on the organs system of the Liver. I am currently writing up
a research thesis on male infertility and evidence from random control trials
show that acupuncture with electro acupuncture stimulation can increase the
motility and concentration of sperm. For women acupuncture can be both a
therapy for the outset on the journey or a compliment for the IV protocols. TCM
combined with functional medicine work up of tests can address some underlying
causes that can be hidden from the western point of view and can make an impact
on positive fertility outcomes.