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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Infertility - Part II
INFERTILITY AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PART II
In Part I, we considered the proper treatment methods of
Traditional Chinese Medicine and The Four Examinations,which
date back over three thousand years.
In this section, we will look at the mechanisms of action of
Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It was shown in a study done at Harvard that stress reduces the
hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-ovarian axis function, thus
being a factor to be considered in the infertility work-up.
Acupuncture releases endorphins which mitigate ones response to
stressful stimuli thus enhancing the possibility for conception.
"Historically, infertility, particularly "functional"
"...Do What He Tells You"The wedding celebration in Cana was in full swing. Joy and celebration filled the air. There was a deep sense of kinship among the ..... infertility, was attributed to abnormal psychological
functioning on the part of one or both members of the couple.
Preliminary works in the 1940s and 1950s considered "psychogenic
infertility" as the major cause of failure to conceive in as
many as 50% of cases. As recently as the late 1960s, it was
commonly believed that reproductive failure was the result of
psychological and emotional factors. Psychogenic infertility was
supposed to occur because of unconscious anxiety about sexual
feelings, ambivalence toward motherhood, unresolved oedipal
conflict, or conflicts of gender identity. Fortunately, advances
in reproductive endocrinology and medical technology as well as
in psychological research have de-emphasized the significance of
psychopathology as the basis of infertility, and modern research
shows that there is little evidence to support a role for
personality factors or conflicts as a cause of infertility. This
perspective unburdens the couple by relieving them of the
additional guilt of thinking that it is their mental stress that
may be responsible for their infertility.
Biologically, since the hypothalamus regulates both stress
responses as well as the sex hormones, it's easy to see how
stress could cause infertility in some women. Excessive stress
may even lead to complete suppression of the menstrual cycle,
and this is often seen in female marathon runners, who develop
"runner's amenorrhea". In less severe cases, it could cause
anovulation or irregular menstrual cycles. When activated by
stress, the pituitary gland also produces increased amounts of
prolactin, and elevated levels of prolactin could cause
irregular ovulation. Since the female reproductive tract
contains catecholamine receptors catecholamines produced in
response to stress may potentially affect fertility, for
example, by interfering with the transport of gametes through
the Fallopian tube or by altering uterine blood flow. However,
more complex mechanisms may be at play, and researchers still
don't completely understand how stress interacts with the
reproductive system. This is a story, which is still unfolding,
and during the last 20 years, the new field of
psychoneuroimmunology has emerged, which focuses on how your
mind can affect your body.
Research has shown that the brain produces special molecules
called neuropeptides, in response to emotions, and these
peptides can interact with every cell of the body, including
those of the immune system. In this view, the mind and the body
are not only connected, but also inseparable, so that it is
hardly surprising that stress can have a negative influence on
fertility.
Stress can reduce sperm counts as well. Thus, testicular
biopsies obtained from prisoners awaiting execution, who were
obviously under extreme stress, revealed complete
spermatogenetic arrest in all cases. Researchers have also
showed significantly lower semen volume and sperm concentration
in a group of chronically stressed marmoset monkey, and these
changes were attributed to lower concentrations of LH and
testosterone (which were reduced in the stressed group).
However, how relevant these research findings are in clinical
practice is still to be determined."
The stress factors that acupuncture addresses stems from both
psycho-emotional factors as well as physical etiologies. For
example, extremely painful pre-menstruum or mid cycle pain can
be debilitating. This type of physical stress, no doubt produces
emotional stress as a result of missed work, manifest pain and
other life-style factors resulting from such extreme pain; all
can mitigate the function of the reproductive system.
Aceto corticotropic hormone is released as a response to
acupuncture needle stimuli. ACTH has an antiinflammatory
mechanism which may for example, help with tubal factor based
infertility as a response to pelvic inflammatory disease.
The insertion of acupuncture needles has been shown to
effectively increase blood circulation. Acupuncture is very
effective in treating, for example, Reynaud's Syndrome. Enhanced
microcirculatory patency to the uterine lining does, undoubtedly
contribute to a healthier and more growth oriented endometrium,
especially when utilizing electrical stimulation on inserted
acupuncture needles on points known as zigongxue which reside
superior to the ovaries. The points zigongxue are located 3
inches inferior to the umbilicus and three inches bilateral to
the anterior midline.
"They reviewed existing evidence regarding the role of
acupuncture in the treatment of infertility, and identified a
number of studies indicating that acupuncture can be beneficial
as an adjunct to other infertility treatments, including IVF.
Only one randomized controlled study examined the independent
effect of acupuncture on IVF outcomes, but this indicated a
positive effect.
The reviewed authors also highlight evidence that shows the
effects of acupuncture may be mediated through neuropeptides
that influence gonadotropin secretion, which could in turn
affect the menstrual cycle. The technique can also reduce
stress, which is known to adversely affect fertility, and has
been implicated in the regulation of uterine blood flow."
"Using acupuncture during assisted reproduction may improve
pregnancy rates, say researchers. However, they acknowledge that
the mechanism behind this effect is unclear, and the team plans
to carry out further studies to confirm, and further
investigate, their findings.
Noting that acupuncture has been shown to affect the autonomic
nervous system, Dr. Wolfgang Paulus
(Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany) and colleagues
postulated that the therapy could increase endometrial
receptivity via control of related muscles and glands.
The researchers randomly assigned 160 women receiving assisted
reproductive therapy to undergo IVF with or without acupuncture,
before and after embryo transfer. In acupuncture subjects, the
needles were placed at points believed to influence reproductive
factors, for example by improving blood flow to the uterus.
Paulus et al report that the acupuncture group had a higher rate
of pregnancy compared with those not given acupuncture (43
percent versus 26 percent). They conclude, therefore, that
acupuncture could be "a useful tool" for improving pregnancy
rates during certain infertility treatments."
In Part III we will look at the combined elements of Eastern and
Western medicine along with herbal medication in the treatment
of infertility.
About the author:
Dr. Mike Berkley has been treating fertility disorders since
1996 with amazing results. He works exclusively in the area of
reproductive medicine and enjoys working in conjunction with
some of New Yorks most prestigious reproductive
endocrinologists. Sign up for his free newsletter at
www.BerkleyCenter.com
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