What Chinese Medicine Fertility Diagnosis do I have?
- nataliagardneracup
- Jul 9, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: May 3

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?
Book in for acupuncture at Creation Acupuncture creationacupuncture.co.uk
Sign up as a contact and receive a free 'working with your cycle' document. This details lifestyle advice for each fertility diagnosis.
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
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