What Chinese Medicine Fertility Diagnosis do I have?

This week’s article is about the Chinese Medicine fertility diagnoses which can help if you have been given a diagnosis of unexplained infertility in Western Medicine.

‘Unexplained infertility’ is the category given to couples when doctors have exhausted all tests and investigations and cannot find a cause of a couple’s difficulty conceiving. Usually (but varying depending on your country) you won’t be given fertility tests until you have been trying for 1.5-2 years. Your age and other factors can reduce this time in some cases.

However, for a lot of couples, after waiting all of that time and undertaking tests for both the male and female partner, they often find that doctors cannot pinpoint a cause of fertility problems. Around 1 in 5 couples will experience unexplained infertility.

For example, the woman would be ovulating regularly, have open fallopian tubes, no adhesions or scar tissues causing blockages, no PCOS or endometriosis and the man would have a normal sperm count.

A fertility acupuncturist can always diagnose you according to a Chinese Medicine pattern. I have never met a fertility patient (including many with ‘unexplained infertility’) who didn’t have one or more of the below patterns.

Patterns of disharmonies of organs are the way that we as TCM acupuncturists diagnose all patients for any condition.

The main diagnoses in TCM fertility acupuncture are:

• Liver Qi Stagnation

• Blood Stasis

• Cold in the Uterus

  
  

• Kidney Yin and/or Yang Deficiency

• Spleen Qi Deficiency leading to Damp Stagnation

• Blood Deficiency (Liver and Heart)

These conditions refer to:

1. Excess or deficiency:

When Qi (energy)

Or a deficiency (not enough/not strong enough) Qi, Blood, Yin or Yang to support your fertility organs in the appropriate times of the cycle to grow the follicles and produce an egg, or to nourish the endometrium or to support progesterone in the luteal phase.

2. Organs:

A specific organ which is the main organ causing problem. The main organs involved in female fertility are the Spleen, Kidney, Liver, Heart and Uterus.

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners have been combining physical health and emotional health in medical treatments for 2000 years.

In acupuncture, which is an Ancient Chinese form of medicine, the emotions and the physical symptoms are combined to diagnose and treat conditions, including difficulty conceiving.

Acupuncture for fertility is widely used nowadays across the world.

How do you know if you have the following diagnoses? Check out if you have any of the following symptoms....

Liver Qi Stagnation

Is your Liver energy in excess, causing blockages and hormonal imbalances? Do you have any of the following?

• Constipation or bloating

• Mood changes, frustration, anger, irritability, emotional, low mood.

• Headaches especially pre-menstrual

• Painful periods

• Breast tenderness pre-menstrual

• Ectopic pregnancy

Blood Stasis

Is your blood flow restricted, causing blockages preventing implantation?

• Endometriosis

• Fibroids

• Polyps

• Heavy, painful periods

• Large, dark clots

• Brown blood spotting before or after period

• Immune system problems

• High oestrogen

• High LH

Cold in the Uterus

Is your uterus cold, which prevents implantation?

• You feel the cold

• Cold abdomen or bottom

• Painful periods eased with a hot water bottle

• Small, stringy or dark clots

Kidney Yang Deficiency

Kidney Yang strengthens the uterus. Is your Kidney Yang weak, which fails to warm the uterus, and sustain progesterone, preventing implantation?

• You feel the cold

• Cold hands and feet (the Kidney channel starts on the feet)

• Low progesterone

• Short luteal phase

• Watery blood

• Short cycle

• Heavy bleed, no pain.

• Low back ache

• Underactive thyroid

• Miscarriage

• Implantation failure, chemical pregnancy, RIF

  
  

Kidney Yin Deficiency

Kidney Yin provides the energy for egg and follicular growth. Is your Kidney Yin weak, affecting egg quality?

• Low AMH

• High FSH

• Low antral follicle count

• Poor egg quality

• Follicles slow to grow

• Ovulation disorder

• Frequent waking, hot and thirsty at night

• Restlessness

• Dry skin

Blood Deficiency

Liver Blood contributes to endometrial growth. Heart Blood affects your emotions. Is your blood deficient?

• Anxiety

• Thin lining

• Low oestrogen

• Light periods

• Dizziness

• Dull headaches during or after the period

• Ovulation problems

Spleen Qi Deficiency

Spleen Qi supports the uterus and the gut microbiome. If your spleen is weak it could contribute to implantation and ovulation problems.

• Overthinking and worry

• Tiredness

• PCOS

• Ovulation problems

• Loose stools

• Insulin resistance

Damp

When the Spleen is weak, it fails to flow the fluids around the body effectively, they then accumulate and cause blockages of Damp.

• PCOS

• LH higher than FSH

• Blocked fallopian tubes

• Phlegm on chest

• Thrush

• Difficulty losing weight

• High BMI

So what can you do about it?

1. Book in for acupuncture at Creation Acupuncture creationacupuncture.co.uk

2. Sign up as a contact and receive a free 'working with your cycle' document. This details lifestyle advice for each fertility diagnosis.

3. Fertility Acupuncture at Creation Acupuncture includes a fertility course (at no extra cost) involving:

• Affirmations (specific for fertility, PCOS, endometriosis, pregnancy)

• Specific exercises to improve your self-worth, self-love

• Energy clearing and emotional healing exercises

• A specific module on the Chinese Medicine Patterns causing difficulty conceiving

• Meditation for manifestation

Book Now