Acupuncture and Female Fertility

05/08/2009 by Acupuncturewithjenny.

How would an acupuncturist treat female infertility?

In traditional Chinese medicine, as well as in Western medicine, the menstrual cycle is known to have several phases.Days 1-7, during menstruation, are (unsurprisingly) considered to be the blood phase.

The acupuncturist will ask questions about the quality of your blood – the colour, the flow, whether there are any clots and if you experience any pain at this time. The answers you give help your acupuncturist to determine the existence of any possible imbalances.Days 7-14 (or ovulation) are considered to be the ‘Yin Phase’.

After you have finished your bleed the body is relatively depleted and will work to replenish the blood in preparation for ovulation.Treatment during this phase concentrates on helping the body replenish the blood by gaining the maximum benefit from the digestive process.  This is why it is beneficial to eat iron-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and small amounts of meat.

The Ovulatory Period

At around day 10 your acupuncturist will select points to promote healthy ovulation. At ovulation the cycle is changing from the ‘Yin Phase’ (restoration and consolidation) to the ‘Yang Phase’.

Post-Ovulatory Phase (Luteal Phase) If conception has not occurred, this is considered to be the ‘Yang Phase’ of the cycle.  ‘Yang’ is warm by nature and if you are using a basal body temperature (BBT) chart you will ideally see a marked increase in temperature at this time which relates to the surge of progesterone.Your acupuncturist may ask you to record BBT charts in order to assess the balance of the Yin and Yang energies your body is experiencing.The focus of treatment at this part of the cycle is usually to warm the ‘Yang’ of the body with the aim of increasing progesterone.Pre-Menstrual PhaseThis is considered to be the point where ‘Yang’ is at its highest and has entered the qi (pronounced chee) phase. Qi is the vital energy of your body and frequently becomes stuck and stagnated at this time. This leads to pre-menstrual symptoms such as irritability, tender breasts, weepiness, pain or constipation.The acupuncturist will work to smooth the flow of qi and in doing so to promote healthy menstruation.

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