© Copyright 2000, Eastern Harmony Medical Acupuncture Clinic
- All Rights Reserved. Reprinted here by permission of the author and
Eastern Harmony Medical Acupuncture Clinic.
by Randine Lewis, Ph.D., Lic.Ac.
Complete resolution of severe, long-term tubal obstruction with massage,
acupuncture and herbal therapy is rarely possible with alternative techniques.
Often an improvement is made, but resolution is not possible. Then In-Vitro
Fertilization is the only option for these women who wish to give birth to their
own genetic offspring.
Thankfully, acupuncture can help improve the outcome of assisted reproductive techniques. First, Chinese medicine can help alleviate the side-effects of medical treatments, improving the response to hormonal stimulation. Secondly, acupuncture can help improve the blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which has been found to be a great determinant in the success of assisted reproductive techniques. Finally, natural techniques can be employed to help alleviate some of the tension which is inherent in these extremely stressful procedures. It has been well documented that stress negatively effects the outcome of ART. A recent study published by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's Fertility and Sterility Journal, reported that stress impairs the success rate in IVF cycles up to 93%!
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One aspect which needs to be stressed, however, is that you need to be
hormonally healthy before you go into the cycle. Your best response to any
assisted reproductive technique will depend upon your overall endocrine status
the few months preceding the procedure. Getting pregnant isn't the goal. Giving
birth is. Miscarriage rates are much higher for pregnancies that result from
hormonal stimulation. You have within your means methods by which you can
improve the quality of response, rather than the number of eggs produced per
cycle. Women with fallopian tube obstruction statistically have much higher odds
of giving birth than those with "unexplained infertility" or ovulatory
disorders, which account for 25 - 40% of those who seek reproductive assistance.
That is because they don't have hormonal imbalances which affect the quality of
their embryos. As well, conceptions which result from fathers with sperm issues
(low count, morphology or motility), have higher rates of miscarriage. You must
do everything within your means to ensure you are as hormonally healthy as
possible before you attempt medical reproductive assistance!
Read more of Dr. Randine Lewis here at How to Make a Family...
Randine Lewis, a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, is the founder of Eastern Harmony Clinic. She currently sees patients through The Fertile Soul Retreats, where patients receive diagnostic evaluation and treatment for fertility enhancement with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
After
attending osteopathic medical school, Dr. Lewis began her career in
Traditional Chinese Medicine. She earned her graduate and post-graduate
degrees in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, focusing on fertility,
and performed her internship at the Dalian Hospital of Traditional
Chinese Medicine in China.
Dr. Lewis has been a medical
expert on HowToMakeAFamily.com and ePregnancy.com, and has appeared on
ABC Eyewitness News, NBC HealthBeat; CBS Up Close; PBS Weekday and
Weeknight, all featuring her successes treating infertility with
Traditional Chinese Medicine. She lectures nationally and is the author
of The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies
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