Improving Ovarian Function And Egg Quality Through Traditional Chinese Medicine
Improving Ovarian Function And Egg Quality Through Traditional Chinese Medicine
One of the most common causes for infertility, is low levels of follicle stimulating hormone or FSH, for which women seek treatment from the best acupuncturists, Auckland. The hormone produced by the pituitary gland controls the egg production in ovaries besides regulating the menstrual cycle. FSH also helps the uterine lining to thicken which prepares the womb for pregnancy.
In some women, levels of FSH can be low or the ovaries do not respond to the hormone to produce eggs. In both these cases, women face difficulty in attaining pregnancy. The normal levels of FSH in women are between 0.3 to 10.0 mIU/ml. According to experts anything above 10 denotes suboptimal functioning of ovaries while a level below 3 denote pituitary problems.
Traditional Chinese Medicine may improve ovarian function and quality. Providing the ovaries and uterus with nourishment and increased blood circulation may help increase production of estrogen and progesterone. This promotes the growth of healthy follicles and improves egg quality while thickening the uterine lining to facilitate the implantation of an embryo.
Research on the effectiveness of acupuncture to improve ovarian functions
Traditional Chinese medicine considers kidneys, spleen and liver to be the meridians to the female reproductive system. “Qi” which is the vital energy that supports body functions and blood, is considered essential to maintain a healthy reproductive system. The liver regulates the nervous system while kidneys are similar to endocrine system in function.
In all these cases described below the traditional Chinese medicine treatment protocol was administered by acupuncturists in Auckland. The protocol involved acupuncture to strengthen and nourish ovaries, uterus, kidneys, spleen and liver. This promotes hormone regulation and production, the production of blood to nourish the ovaries and uterus, and stress reduction.
In the first case a 31 year old woman who had absence of periods for eleven months was found to have smaller ovaries than average. Treatment for four months with acupuncture restored the size of ovaries and the woman was able to conceive within seven months.
The second case is of a 35 year-old woman who came in for acupuncture when her first IVF cycle had to be canceled due to lack of follicles. The FSH level was 17 prior to treatment which went down to 8.1 post the three month treatment protocol. She underwent the second cycle of IVF successfully.
Hysterosalpingograph revealed the small uterus size of a 34 year-old woman who had amenorrhea with a FSH level of 25. The three month treatment protocol was followed by a drop in FSH to 5.4. Her menstrual cycles regularized and she was able to conceive after five months when her uterus attained normal size.