Dr Hao Xiang Tay

In short, the answer is yes. Research conducted by cellular biologist Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari, head of the integrative medicine unit of Tel Aviv University’s medical school, and Keren Sela, a TCM practitioner specialising in women’s health have found that when combining IUI with TCM treatments, 65. 5% of the test group was able to conceive, compared to 39. 4% of the control group, which received no herbal or acupuncture therapy. In the test group, 41. 4% delivered healthy babies as compared with 26. 9% of the control group.

When a patient visits a TCM physician for treatment, the TCM physician would start diagnosing the patient just like a Western doctor. We would listen to the symptoms affecting you and examine you for signs such as complexion, movement of your body, tongue and pulse. Once sufficient information is gathered, we would assess the patient’s situation in its entire context to get a more holistic understanding of your condition. TCM physicians use a set of diagnostic principles to identify the imbalance in the patient’s body.

From a TCM perspective, there are two main types of causes for infertility: An abnormality in the reproductive organs, which are not treatable with medication. An imbalance of Yin and Yang in our system, causing dysfunction to our reproductive system. From TCM perspective, your “kidney" can affect your reproductive system (肾主生殖) and that energy from our “kidney" (qi) is critical in the development of our reproductive abilities. Therefore, the main cause of infertility in both men and women is usually “kidney deficiency” (肾虚).

As far back as about 2000 years ago, the earliest TCM texts ⻩帝内经 (Huangdi Neijing, Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) have detailed how one’s age could affect their fertility. It is written in 素问。上古天真论] (Basic Questions - The Universal Truth), which dictates the states of health that a man and woman would go through as they age, including their reproductive abilities.

There are many traditional Chinese medicine herbal formulas that can help to resolve these issues. For example, Huo Xiang Zheng Qi (藿香正气) and Li Zhong Tang (理中 汤) are both effective TCM herbal formulas for treating diarrhoea and nausea. Acupuncture can also help alleviate these symptoms various combinations of the below acupuncture points like 中脘 (RN 12), 足三里 (ST 36), 天枢 (ST 25), 上巨虚 (ST 37), 关元 (RN4)，阴陵泉(SP9) and 内关(PC 6) to treat stomach flu symptoms such as diarrhoea and nausea.

TCM physician can treat insomnia through meridian massages, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. TCM Massage treatment and/ or acupuncture can be performed on acupuncture points such as Bai Hui (百会) and Shi Mian Xue (失眠穴) to improve the patient’s quality of sleep. [1] As far back as in the Han dynasty over 2000 years ago, TCM herbal formula Suan Zao Ren Tang (酸枣仁汤) was used to treat sleeping disorders. Research has shown that Suan Zao Ren Tang is useful for Menopausal women who experience sleep difficulty as a symptom. [2] References: 1. https://www. straitstimes.

In ancient times, TCM physicians diagnose infertility by asking a series of questions (symptoms) and examining the patient’s tongue and pulse (signs) to determine the underlying cause of infertility. Some of the common questions (non-exhaustive) for the ladies are: How many days it takes for the patient to complete one menstrual cycle. The number of times the patient has gotten pregnant and the number of times she had given birth. If the patient experiences menstrual cramps. The patient’s observation of her vaginal discharge.

According to TCM theory, smooth Qi flow is essential for the movement of the body. Acupuncture can help to improve the Qi flow of the meridians, thus, improving the mobility and dexterity of the affected limbs.

TCM determine the food is heaty or cooling by the symptoms of the illness associated with the over-consumption of these foods. For example, durian is heaty because over-consumption of durian is associated with a sore throat. Conversely, watermelon is considered a cooling fruit because over-consumption of watermelon is associated with cough and colourless phlegm.

TCM physician can help to treat Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome by performing acupuncture treatments for the patient to stimulate the meridians around the ovaries for ovulation to occur. Chinese herbal medicine can also be prescribed to help the patient to regulate her menstrual cycle. TCM physicians can also initiate a TCM weight management treatment plan for the patient if the PCOS patient is overweight. This is because weight reduction is an important way to help the patient achieve regular ovulation. A weight reduction of just 5% can lead to significant improvement in PCOS. [1] 1.

The main risk of Traditional Chinese medicine fertility treatments are that the patient may be allergic to the herbal medication. Hence, it is very important to inform your TCM physician of any drug allergies you may have so the physician could provide you with an alternative form of treatment should you be allergic. Other than this, TCM fertility treatments are generally safe and can even be used concurrently with Western fertility treatments to increase your chances of conceiving.

It depends on your medical condition and the type of treatment you receive. Typically the cost of treatment is about: Consultation: $20 to $50 Acupuncture: $30 to $50 Most of the costs typically come from the medication. If you opt for the herbal decoction (Brewing herbs), the medication could cost between $15 to $50 per day depending on the type of Chinese medicine is used. If the ingredients of the medication are more difficult to acquire, like Ginseng (人参) or Velvet Antler (鹿茸), then the cost will tend to be higher.

For sub-fertile patients (women below the age of 35), typically conceive within 2 treatment cycles (The duration of 1 treatment cycle being 3 months). For patients with more serious fertility issues such low ovarian reserves, PCOS, severe oligozoospermia (very low sperm count), severe nercozoospermia (high percentage of dead sperm), severe asthennozoospermia (high percentage of immotile sperm), it might take a longer time to conceive.