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| Traditional Chinese
Medicine and Infertility - Part II |
| by: Dr. Mike Berkley |
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"
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 York’s most prestigious
reproductive endocrinologists. Sign up
for his free newsletter at
www.BerkleyCenter.com
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***DISCLAIMER: The material presented on this website
is for informational purposes only and should not be
considered medical advice. Consult your physician for the
proper medical treatment for your condition.***
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