Thriving With Eastern Medicine

Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, & Tips to Manage Pregnancy Nausea

admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 22:20:14 +0000

During the beautiful and empowering experience of pregnancy, there are many discomforts along for the ride. In the 1st trimester, about 80% of women will be met with fatigue, nausea, sometimes vomiting, food aversions, active and frequent bladder, and more. The pregnancy nausea can either increase in waves or come on with full vengeance. Every woman’s experience can range from a constant, nagging, nauseous feeling worsening when the stomach is empty, or strong food aversions taking place. Or the nausea hits with an intensity followed by gagging, or vomiting. When the HCG levels start to increase around the 4-to-6-week mark and beyond, the nausea tends to follow suit. Most women are left with the misery of not feeling well for weeks to months, while battling the emotional toll of feeling of missing out with joy, anxiety, and sometimes a grief form of depression. Why? Because many women work hard for their pregnancies during the fertility journey and most of us are painted with the beauty of pregnancy; but, not the reality of its change. Sure, maybe tired, slight “morning sickness”, with the need for smaller meals is common BUT we are not told the truth. Nausea during pregnancy, commonly known as “morning sickness”, can happen at any time during the day and night and may continue into the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. We will discuss some natural remedies to help manage the morning sickness such as herbal medicine, teas, food, and Acupuncture.

Herbal Tea Options:

Ginger: Ginger has been used for centuries to alleviate nausea and vomiting. The options include ginger tea, ginger candies, or ginger supplements. “Several studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing pregnancy-related nausea. For example, a study published in the “Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology” in 2014 found that ginger supplementation significantly reduced nausea and vomiting in pregnant women compared to a placebo group.” (1). Ginger tea can be bought prepackaged in a tea bag, or a fresh piece of ginger root. I would recommend using a small amount of fresh, ginger root because it can be a spicy taste. If you have a history, or are spotting, while pregnancy; I do not recommend ginger in large doses because it is a circulatory herb and can cause heavier bleeding.
Peppermint: Peppermint has a soothing effect on the stomach and may help alleviate nausea. due to its cooling properties. Peppermint tea or sucking on peppermint candies can be beneficial. While there’s limited direct research on peppermint for pregnancy nausea, a review published in “Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice” in 2013 suggested that peppermint oil may help relieve nausea and vomiting in various conditions (4). I would recommend adding peppermint oil onto a cotton ball to help smell it throughout the nausea waves. I do not recommend ingesting any essential oils because they are so potent and could eat away at the mucus lining of our digestive systems.
Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, has been shown to reduce pregnancy-related nausea. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends vitamin B6 as a first-line treatment for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. A systematic review published in “Obstetrics and Gynecology” in 2016 concluded that vitamin B6 supplementation is effective and safe for treating pregnancy nausea (4).
Magnesium: Taking magnesium (Magnesium Carbonate) can help with decrease morning sickness. I favor the CALM brand because you can adjust the dose of magnesium as you need. It is in powder form, which is mixed into water. If you start getting looser stool, or diarrhea, back off the magnesium dosage due to your body has enough. This is known as bowel tolerance for dosing magnesium. The other benefit of magnesium is it helps with muscle restlessness, anxiety, and constipation stemming from increased progesterone levels.

Small, Frequent Meals: Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day can help prevent nausea associated with an empty stomach. High-protein snacks like nuts or yogurt may be particularly helpful. While there’s limited specific research on this approach for pregnancy nausea, it’s commonly recommended by healthcare providers.
Papaya Enzymes: this can be used after the 1st trimester if nausea continues into the 2nd trimester.

Acupressure & Acupuncture:

Acupressure: Some women find relief from nausea through acupressure, particularly by stimulating the P6 point on the wrist. There’s limited scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness, but anecdotal reports and small studies suggest it may help reduce nausea. One study published in “Obstetrics and Gynecology” in 2001 reported that acupressure on the P6 point reduced nausea severity in pregnant women (2). Sometimes purchasing the sea bands can provide some constant relief because it stimulates the P6 (Pericardium 6) point to calm nausea.
Acupuncture: is such a powerful tool in Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are so many Acupuncture point options and combination to help with decreasing Nausea. I have seen the benefits of decreased to absent nausea, improved appetite, able to eat a full meal, increased energy levels, and more. Acupuncture works locally around the acupuncture points with stimulating, or calming, the immune system, activating the body’s natural healing abilities, relays to the center of the brain to calm, and supports the stomach/hormonal connection during the 1st trimester. Below is a research pilot study finding, Smith et al (2002), “This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. The study involved 42 pregnant women who were randomly assigned to either an acupuncture group or a control group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment specifically targeting nausea and vomiting, while the control group received sham acupuncture. The study found that women in the acupuncture group experienced a significant reduction in nausea and vomiting compared to the control group. The authors concluded that acupuncture shows promise as a safe and effective treatment option for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, though further research with larger sample sizes is warranted (4, 5).

Reference:

Viljoen, E., Visser, J., Koen, N., & Musekiwa, A. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 34(7), 1-7.
Norheim, A. J., Pedersen, E. J., Fønnebø, V. M., & Berge, L. (2001). Acupressure treatment of morning sickness in pregnancy. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 87(4), 654-658.
McKay, D. L., & Blumberg, J. B. (2006). A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint tea (Mentha piperita L.). Phytotherapy Research, 20(8), 619-633.
Matthews, A., Dowswell, T., Haas, D. M., Doyle, M., & O’Mathúna, D. P. (2015). Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9), CD007575. “Acupuncture for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomized, controlled pilot study”. Vol 22 (5). Pg: 468-71.
Acupuncture: Smith, C., Crowther, C., & Beilby, J. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: the Journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Treating Hot Flashes, Naturally

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 22:40:42 +0000

“I am sweating non-stop at night to where I am soaking the sheets!” “I feel this bone-shearing fire and it gets worst after eating sugar.” “My own mother when through 10 years of pure menopause hell with hot flashes, night sweats, and rage-will I experience the same thing!?!”. “Will these hot flashes last forever?”.

These are all of the questions we get in our Acupuncture Consultations with women in the Peri-menopause and Menopause transition. I am here to tell you-No, these symptoms do not need to be extreme and do not have to last forever. Let us dive into what is Menopause, why do some women experience some of these symptoms, and what Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can do to lower them.

Menopause is a natural transition for all women. It is a right of passage where a women transitions into the mother phase of reproductive years to crone. Menopause happens when there is no period for 12 months and beyond due to the ovaries stop producing eggs. As the ovaries transition from producing eggs, the hormones of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone start to decrease. In turn, the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys will take over and produce the estrogen and androgen hormones (2). You see, Menopause does not shrivel up your ovaries and leave your hormones levels to zero. You are not a sac of skin with hot flashes. You are woman with an intelligent body, who needs the right support in this transition.

For some women, the decreasing of these hormones during menopause can create an uncomfortable experience such as “irregular periods, vaginal dryness, fatigue, hot flashes, sweating or night sweats, dry skin, irritability, moodiness, and lowered libido” (1). During the transition of menopause, the liver and kidneys are effected through a “physiologic and biochemical change” from the decrease of these hormones. Many have some level of discomfort with these symptoms of change and there are some conventional treatment options such as Hormonal Replacement Therapy but they can be limiting and with adverse effects. TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, offers an another way of treating the symptoms of menopause such as Hot flashes through Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Nutritional Guidance without adverse side effects.

Menopause Transition: The key to supporting the transition of estrogen production from ovaries to adrenal glands is to have healthy support in the kidney, liver, and gut health pathways. “Estrogen has many beneficial roles to help maintain liver function such as promoting coagulation, maintaining proper fluid balance, and fostering increase in HDL and decreasing LDL for favorable lipid profiles “ (1). Estrogen helps protect liver mitochondrial structure and functions, support immunity, and promotes antioxidants” (1). The mitochondria part of the cell is known as our energy powerhouses to combat fatigue and sluggishness.

Conventional Medicine will usually offer certain medications, or Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) such as estrogen, progesterone, and other single compounds/combinations. While HRT provides temporary relief and maybe safe for short-term usage, it may come at a cost of the body not adjusting to the menopause transition. As the body switches from ovaries to adrenals producing the sex hormones such as estrogen and androgen, “taking estrogen HRT may discourage the adrenals from fully developing their estrogen-producing capacity” (2). There are some risk to HRT such as increasing the risk of imbalances such as the gall bladder disease and cancers of the breast, uterus, and liver (2,3). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a safer option.

Let us talk about Hot Flashes. Hot Flashes are a way your body is communicating to you that something is out of balance. In TCM, the symptoms of menopause usually mean a deficiency of yin fluids. These yin fluids help calm and relax the liver, which is supported by the benefits of estrogen. There are other patterns of imbalances branching off the deficiency of yin fluids such as Yin deficiency with Empty heat, Liver qi stagnation, Liver fire, and other TCM patterns. The cool things about these patterns is they can shift and change. Your body is not destined to be “stuck”, or “forever” in this imbalanced state. The tools of Acupuncture alongside Nutrition and Herbal Medicine are cardinal to managing and decreasing Menopause symptoms. Nutrition and Herbal Medicine put the ingredients into the body needed to help support the imbalances and Acupuncture helps navigate these ingredients to where they need to go. This is how Acupuncture helps cool Hot flashes, balance hormonal pathways, improve digestion and sluggish, increase energy, and balance mood.

General Nutritional: TCM nutrition is about adding into the diet and nourishing the body. For the yin deficiency, adding foods to “build the yin” such as “wheat germ, mung beans, string beans, seaweed, spirulina, millet, black bean, tofu, kidney bean, barley, black sesame seed”. Usually in Menopause discomfort, there are “vitamin E, B-complex, C, and A deficiencies due to decreased calcium absorption” (2) These vitamins are co-factors to help with calcium metabolism such as “Vitamin E stimulates the production of estrogen” (2). Sometimes higher doses of vitamin E help decrease hot flashes at the dose of 300 I.U. of vitamin E 3 times per day at meal times. Decreasing alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, poor quality of meat, and sugar will help decrease hot flashes as well.

Herbal Medicine: Herbal Medicine is essential in managing Menopause symptoms! You may have heard of the common herbs of Dang gui (angelica sinensis), Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), Aloe vera gel, Royal Jelly from the queen bee to decrease hot flashes. Dang gui is usually combined with other TCM herbs to help support your body type and specific heat and hot flash patterns. Motherwort is a nourishing and calming nervine for heart space and emotional balancing. Aloe vera gel helps cool the excessive heat.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy are combined to help decrease hot flashes. The Acupuncture Consultation is where our Acupuncturist can assess the symptoms, gather some information, and complete a Plan of Action for treatment. The general guide line 6 week treatment plan followed by a reassessment for maintenance. The 6 week treatment plan includes Acupuncture and Herbal therapy and most women can expect to see improvement in decreased Hot flashes at 2 weeks and 6 weeks of treatment. Maintenance may include Acupuncture once per month, or every 6 weeks, and Herbal therapy for lower dosage to support the Liver and Kidney health during the Menopause transition.

References:

“Menopause Protocol”. Wei Laboratories. 0222-01.
Pitchford, Paul. “Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition”. Chapter 31: Blood Disorders. “Menopausal Difficulty”. Pg 403 (4).

Acupuncture & Fertility

admin — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 16:00:40 +0000

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a wonderful medicine to help support the Fertility journey for the 1 out of 8 couples, who experience Fertility challenges. Traditional Chinese Medicine has an established system of TCM Gynecology that supports Women’s Reproductive Health including the tools of Acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, and more. The end goal of the Fertility journey is to have a healthy baby. In order to reach this goal, both intending parents need to work on the many levels of physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, environmental, and relationship. The Fertility journey encompasses the ups and downs of hope and disappointment, fear and courage, grief and surrender, frustration and peace. Our goal is to walk alongside your Fertility journey, while helping you achieve your goal of having a baby.

Acupuncture has been researched and found to help:

● Restoring hormonal balance

● Regulation menstruation

● Increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus to improve ovarian function and the quality of the cervical mucus

● Builds the immune system and reduces miscarriages

● Decrease the frequency of uterine contractions after embryo transfer (8)

● Within three months, the thickness of the uterine wall lining and quality of oocytes are improved

● Improving sperm function

“TCM sees every patient as unique, and the treatment is made by their current condition and constitution. With such a long history for more than 5000 years, TCM is highly effective with no side effects. Acupuncture as part of the TCM as a treatment for infertility is used for a very long time. With the insertion of tiny sterile needles into acupoints located at specific points on the body the way the body functions can be regulated and the problem that affects fertility can be addressed. Acupuncture treatment can balance the hormones, strengthen the immune system, regulate the energy and Blood flow, remove the stasis and phlegm and stimulate the nervous system. With a combination of acupuncture and herbs, it is possible to improve the ovarian and follicular function and increase the blood flow to the endometrium [1] [2] [3]].” [4].

Acupuncture has been found to improved the rate of conception by half the time compared to women only using lifestyle adjustments (5) By using the tools of Basal Body Temperature charting, tracking cervical mucus, cycle tracking, ovulation status, emotional wellness check in, tongue and pulse diagnosis, we use a multi-phase approach to fertility. This means we prescribe a different set of Acupuncture points each phase of the cycle alongside herbal medicine. We use herbal medicine and target nutrition to help optimize the building of the endometrium lining, improve ovulation regularity, improve quality of cycles, and increase cervical mucus to improve the environment of the womb for pregnancy. Research has shown by using” multiphasic fertility acupuncture protocol there was a positive influence, where the women who received it compared to the women who used lifestyle modification alone. It increased their fertility awareness and improved their wellbeing. Those who conceived did so in half the time of their lifestyle only peers (5)

Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture can be used as a stand-alone medicine for supporting Natural Fertility, or used in combination of Reproductive Technology such as IVF, IUI, ICSI, and more. Acupuncture has been proven to increase the chance of implantation for IVF and IUI procedures by 60-65 % (6,7). “It was observed that three sessions of acupuncture before and after ET significantly increased the pregnancy rates in women with unexplained infertility. It was also found that acupuncture significantly reduced anxiety levels that occurred before ET” (8). Not only did Acupuncture help improve success of implantation, but also improved the rate of live births.

It is essential to plan for Fertility to help optimize your health and the environment of the womb space. We recommend planning to prepare for fertility 1 year before trying to actively conceive by starting slow and adjusting lifestyle habits for optimal health such as whole food nutrition, stress reduction, getting lab work and semen analysis completed to check in, and working on sleep hygiene. The minimum preparation time with using TCM Gynecology is 4 months because within the 4 months Acupuncture can help improve quality of egg, endometrium lining, and sperm health for Male health. Each Fertility plan varies upon the need of each person and we do offer a Fertility consultation to do a full medical intake, review any recent labs, review supplements, lifestyle, cycle health, and emotional wellness.

Bibliography:

3. Shi J. Boosting Fertility and Conception with Chinese Herbs. Acupuncture, and Diet. 2018. www.vitalitymagazine.com .
Zhu J, Arsovska B, Sterjovska-Aleksovska A, Kozovska K. Acupuncture Treatment of Subfertility and Ovarian Endometrioma. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2018;6(3):519–522. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.128 PMid:29610611 PMCid:PMC5874376. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Berkley M. Infertility And Acupuncture. 2016. www.americanpregnancy.org .
Zhu J, Arsovska B, Kozovska K. Acupuncture Treatment for Fertility. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2018;6(9):1685-1687. Published 2018 Sep 19. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2018.379
Cochrane S, Smith CA, Possamai-Inesedy A, Bensoussan A. Prior to Conception: The Role of an Acupuncture Protocol in Improving Women’s Reproductive Functioning Assessed by a Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial [published correction appears in Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 May 2;2018:2343604]. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:3587569. doi:10.1155/2016/3587569
inar Gursoy Guven, Yasemin Cayir, Bunyamin Borekci. “Effectiveness of acupuncture on pregnancy success rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: A randomized controlled trial”. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volume 59, Issue 2. (2020). Pg. 282-(6). ISSN 1028-4559.
E. Manheimer, G. Zhang, L. Udoff, A. Haramati, P. Langenberg, B.M. Berman, et al.Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysisBMJ, 336 (2008), pp. 545-549, 10.1136/bmj.39471.430451.BE. 2008/02/09
D.M. Huang, G.Y. Huang, F.E. Lu, D. Stefan, N. Andreas, G. Robert, et al.Acupuncture for infertility: is it an effective therapy? Chin J Integr Med, 17 (2011), pp. 386-395, 10.1007/s11655-011-0611-8

Cupping For Mastitis

admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 16:00:44 +0000

There was an interesting case study reported in how Cupping can be effective for mastitis pain relief for breastfeeding mothers (1). We all know breastfeeding is a learned skilled, needing ample community support and encouragement. Mastitis sometimes becomes part of the breastfeeding journey and needs to be treated quickly before becoming a larger problem. Fire cupping is a simple and effective tool to be used to help pulling out the clog and open the milk ducts. To explore this treatment option for mastitis, let us review what we are looking in “What is Mastitis?’”, “What are the symptoms?”, “What are the causes?”, and “How Fire Cupping and other Traditional Chinese Medicine tools can help?”

According to Mayo Clinic, “Mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection. The inflammation results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness alongside possible fever and chills” (2). Mastitis is common in breastfeeding women known as “lactation Mastitis”. Most the time, mastitis creeps up upon a new mom because it causes the feeling of run down and lethargic due to the infection and immune response. Mastitis is quite painful and tender near and around the infection side, which leads to the natural urge to want to get rid of it. Most moms with Mastitis do not want to nurse when there is so much pain and sensitivity, but continued nursing, warm compresses, and expression of the milk on the affected side will provide a quicker recovery for Mastitis.

Here is a summary of the symptoms for Mastitis:

Breast tenderness or warmth to the touch
Breast swelling
Thickening of breast tissue, or a breast lump
Pain or a burning sensation continuously or while breast-feeding
Skin redness, often in a wedge-shaped pattern
Generally feeling ill
Fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or greater (2).

The common causes of Mastitis are a clogged milk duct, which causes milk to be backed up and creates stagnation. This stagnation leads to an opportunity for an infection. Another cause is bacteria from the mother’s skin and baby’s saliva entering the milk duct opening that maybe cracked. The factors increasing the chance for mastitis include tongue-tie restriction causing cracked and bleeding nipples, tight and restrictive bras, stress, fatigue leading to misalignment in nursing positions, and smoking (2).

Some home solutions to optimize breast health while breastfeeding include keeping breast tissue dry and clean, moisten with Calendula salve/Linoleum on nipples, different/reclining breastfeeding positions, tongue tie revisions if needed for baby (get these done ASAP for your mental and physical health), consistent feedings (feed baby on demand), warmth such as hot showers/compresses, massage the breast tissue before and during nursing, side lie nursing when tired (they are a Godsend for the first 6 months!), and eat whole foods consistently (high fat/protein/whole carb ratios).

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for thousands of years, so they have had time to play and refine their medicine for Women’s Health. Mastitis can be treated with Fire Cupping, Acupuncture, and Herbal Medicine. Let us talk about Fire Cupping. Trust me, it sounds much safer and cooler than it sounds. Remember seeing those cupping marks on athletes on the Olympics? Well, cupping is using a cup with suction to gently pull up the skin and superficial muscle layers. It has many treatment properties. There are many forms of cupping, but Fire cupping is what is effective to pull out a clogged duct. The Fire cupping is when you use a sterilized glass cup, wipe it with alcohol, placed quickly over a fire source (away from the body and controlled), the temperature is tested on the provider’s wrist, and then, quickly and gently placed on the area needed. In this case, it would be placed gently over the breast tissue and nipple to pull out the clogged duct. Light cupping can be used to move the clogged duct in the breast tissue as well. I would have the mom pop off the cup once they feel ready; which can be 2 to 5 minutes depending on comfort level. The milk should pull out into the cup and there would be towels to help keep it clean. I would encourage nursing after the cupping session and use some Acupuncture to clear out the toxic heat (infection) and support the immune system response. Herbal Medicine is cardinal for internal medicine and can be safely prescribed to help fight the infection.

Recently, I personally experienced a clogged duct on the borderline of Mastitis. It was quite uncomfortable mixed with fatigue, slight fever, and painful on nursing. I tried the plastic suction cups I have at home for the kids and the cup kept sliding off. When I used the Fire cupping with glass cups, it pulled that milk clog right out. I followed up with nursing frequently and dangle nursing position. You notice an immediate release and feeling of flowing instead of stagnation and blockage.

I hope this information provided some insight on the possibilities of treating Mastitis and Clogged ducts. If you are needing support, feel free to reach out at 480.690.8933!

References:

“Davies, Deb, DACM, L.Ac., “Fire Cupping for Mastitis: A case study in effective pain relief for breastfeeding new mothers”. Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine. Spring 2022. www.PacificCollege.edu.
Mayo Clinic. “Mastitis”. July 2020. <Mastitis – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic>
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American psychological association (6th ed). Washington, D.C.., American Psychological Association.

Acupuncture & Labor Prep

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:00:21 +0000

Acupuncture can be used to prepare for labor and natural “induction”. We have seen many pregnant women come into the clinic looking for natural ways to prepare for labor and are trying to decrease the risk of scheduled inductions, or C-Sections. This blog is to explain how Acupuncture can help with labor preparation, what are the benefits, what points are used, how we approach Labor preparation, and what we have seen in the clinic.

When it comes to giving birth, our society has created this picture of pain, fear, and failure. In movies, unresolved birth trauma stories from our mothers, grandmothers, girlfriends, and fear induced tactics are used in the mainstream medicine. When we use Acupuncture for labor induction, we go beyond trying to start contracting the uterus. The process of labor is an elaborate orchestra of hormones dependent upon a sense of safety, support, education on the process, instinct and a trust. Whether the birth is planned to be at home, in a birth-center, free-birth, or in a hospital; it is important to feel seen, heard, supported, and give informed consent on every decision making process leading up to the birth and during.

It is important to start the Labor Preparation at 37 weeks pregnant. Here, we can safely prepare the body for labor with working on the physical, emotional, and mental levels. The benefits of using Acupuncture for labor preparation include: cervical ripening (4,5), shortening the duration of the labor process ( 4, 5) decreasing anxiety and fear, release past womb trauma stored in the pelvis, relax tension in the hips, lower back, and help increase uterine contraction through influence the umbilical artery waveforms (6). Normally, Acupuncture is performed weekly from 37 weeks till 40 weeks; then, twice per week till the labor starts. When we have an expecting mom coming in at 39/40 weeks with irregular contractions and practice contractions; we normally see increase in uterine contractions, more regular surges, more relaxation, and the birth to be smoother and shorter in duration. On average, we may see moms go into labor within 1.5 days after an Acupuncture treatment during the 39 to 41 week gestation week.

“Acupuncture with and without electrical stimulation was used to induce labor in 12 pregnant women. Their periods of gestation ranged from 19 to -13 weeks. This method proved simple and effective, yet painless, in both the early and late stages of pregnancy. The technique could induce and maintain an entire course of labor without complications; the success rate was 83%, and average induction-delivery time was 13.1 hours. Whatever the pattern of uterine contraction, the relation between the force of contraction and the degree of dilation of the cervix differed from that in Oxycontin-induced and spontaneous labor. The possibility of acupuncture stimulation transmitted from a neural origin is suspected. Further studies arc required to demonstrate this particular pattern of uterine contraction and the mechanism of acupuncture stimulation” (1).

Some of the most common Acupuncture points used for Labor Preparation include Spleen 6, 8, Large Intestine 4, Urinary Bladder 67, Gall Bladder 21, and others Acupuncture customized to the needs of the mom. These Acupuncture points have the main treatment action of descending downwards. This helps with the natural flow and contraction of the uterus and opening of the cervix. There are additional points to help lessen lower back pain during labor, relaxing the joints, opening the pelvis, and calming the nervous system down, so the natural physiological biology of labor can start and flow. “Acupuncture at points LI4 and SP 6 supports cervical ripening at term and can shorten the time interval between the EDC and the actual time of delivery” (5). “Our study indicates a positive influence of acupuncture treatment on umbilical artery waveforms when using a combination of SP-6 (Sanyinjiao) and LI-4 (Hegu) acupuncture points (7).

The general treatment flow of Acupuncture Labor Preparation includes a medical intake and questions, assessment of pelvis for tightness, alignment, and positioning of baby (with permission), tongue and pulse assessment, Acupuncture point selection, sometimes using Electroacupuncture on SP 6 and LI4, and Tui Na (Asian Body Work) to help open the channels to open the hips and support the labor. Every expecting mom will get a customized and detailed health plan to support the best possible labor and birth outcome.

Thank you for reading!

We are accepting New Patients, feel free to call 480.690.8933 to schedule your Labor Preparation Consult and Appointment.

Resources:

Tsuei, Julia J. MD, FACOG; LAI, YIU-FUN MD. “Induction of Labor by Acupuncture and Electrical Stimulation”. Obstetrics & Gynecology: March 1974 – Volume 43 – Issue 3 – p 337-342
Chi Eung Danforn Lim, Jenny M. Wilkinson, Wu Shun Felix Wong, and Nga Chong Lisa Cheng.The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.Nov 2009.1209-1214.http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0100 Published in Volume: 15 Issue 11: November 18, 2009
Smith CA, Crowther CA, Grant SJ. Acupuncture for induction of labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Aug 15;(8):CD002962. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002962.pub3. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Oct 17;10 :CD002962. PMID: 23945980.
Gaudet LM, Dyzak R, Aung SKH, Smith GN. Effectiveness of acupuncture for the initiation of labour at term: a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2008 Dec;30(12):1118-1123. doi: 10.1016/S1701-2163(16)34021-X. PMID: 19175963.
Rabl M, Ahner R, Bitschnau M, Zeisler H, Husslein P. Acupuncture for cervical ripening and induction of labor at term–a randomized controlled trial. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2001 Dec 17;113(23-24):942-6. PMID: 11802511.
Zeisler H, Eppel W, Husslein P, Bernaschek G, Deutinger J. Influence of acupuncture on Doppler ultrasound in pregnant women. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2001 Mar;17(3):229-32. doi: 10.1046/j.1469-0705.2001.00221.x. PMID: 11309173.

Preparing For IVF With Supplements

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 16:00:06 +0000

There are so many supplement products out on the market for being advertised as Fertility support. In this blog, we want to share some of our recommendations on which types and what brands of supplements we recommend for preparing for IVF (in-vitro fertilization), IUI (intra-uterine insemination), or ICSI. These are only recommendations and every women has their own individual needs, so use this as a baseline. Always consult with your REI specialist and TCM Gynecology Acupuncturist for guidance for your Fertility program.

When planning on conceiving via Reproductive Technology, it is best to do these supplements for at least 3 months alongside any Fertility preparation program. Why? Because it takes 3 months to help enhance, mature, and improve egg quality. The goal is to create quality and healthy sustaining eggs for conception alongside providing nourishment via vitamins and minerals for your body to help support the intended pregnancy.

Here are the supplement recommendation:

Prenatal: If you are going to invest in a good supplement, the prenatal tops all the supplements needed. Usually, you can get a monthly supply of prenatal ranging from $20 to 45 per month. If you have a MTHFR gene variation; then, it is important to get a prenatal with methylfolate and methylocobalamine for B12 for better absorption.
1. Theranatal Core Preconception is 1 tablet per day
2. Thorne Basic Prenatal and Naturelo are 3 tablets per day. The Throne Prenatal has higher dose of vitamin B12 and can be helpful for fertility especially if you have a history of anemia, Celiac Disease, or MTHFR mutation.
3. Mama Bird’s Irone & Iodine free prenatal is a good choice if you need to avoid iron supplements (1)
4. Ritual Preconception is gluten free and vegan. I like the way they are transparent about where they get their ingredients from and what exactly is in the product beyond the Nutrient label.
5. Rainbow Light is a food based prenatal but is not gluten free because of the fermenting process they use for their probiotics.
Vitamin E: start taking this for about 1 month before the embryo transfer for 400IU. Any higher doses, check in with your provider.
1. Life Extension Super Vitamin E (1)
Vitamin D3: vitamin D3 is essential for many body functions such as immune support, mood support, gut health, and more. It is important to get lab work to check vitamin D3 levels before trying to conceive. Sometimes your provider can write a prescription for vitamin D3 if the levels are truly low and, then; they will retest in a 1-2 months to check on vitamin D3 levels.
1. Thorne Vitamin D3 drops
2. Doctor’s Best D3 5000 IU
3. Superior source, vitamin D3 (Found at Sprout’s)-recommend 2,000-5,000 IU’s
CoQ10 serves as an antioxidant and maybe part of the recommendation for Fertility support
1. Life Extension Super Ubiquinol
2. Jarrow Ubiquinol QH absorb
3. Bio-Qinone
4. Pure Encapsulations CoQ10 (Check out Take Your Vitamin Store in Gilbert AZ)
Omega 3 with DHA: some prenatals are starting to include omega 3 and DHA resources, but if they do not check out Nordic Naturals for a great line of Omega 3 Fish oil and DHA. Omega 3’s are essential for nervous system health and development, hormonal health, and brain health for mom and intended baby.
Herbal Supplements should only be used under prescription of a herbalist, Licensed Acupuncturist, N.D., D.O. (with proper training), or Integrative Doctor (with proper herbal training). I see so many patients come to the office with a bag of herbal supplements that were bought under the recommendation of their friends and family. Most of the time these do not work for everyone. Every woman has different needs for their fertility journey and herbal medicine is medicine. You need to know what you are taking and why. Most REI do not want their patients taking herbal medicine alongside certain IVF and IUI procedures, so they do not have any interference with the process. There are some herbs that are contraindicated for fertility, or interfere with the hormones used in the IVF/IUI process; while others will help enhance the chance of implantation, or may hold the pregnancy better.

For using supplements, make sure they are high quality, non-GMO, gluten free (if needed), vegan (if desired), organic, methylated (if needed), and simple for you to take. Keep the list simple. After the embryo transfer, continue taking the prenatal, vitamin D3, and Omega 3/DHA supplement.

Resource:

“Supplements to prepare for embryo transfer”. It starts with the egg book.

Acupressure For Calming Anxiety

admin — Mon, 24 May 2021 21:38:16 +0000

What is Acupressure? Acupressure is the application of firm pressure with the fingers on specific points on the body known as Acupuncture points. These Acupuncture points are concentrate areas on the body that provide specific relief for various ailments. These points have “high electrical conductivity at the surface of the skin” allowing “qi” to flow through the meridians. The meridians are energy pathways connecting the acupuncture points to their associated internal organ. Here, one can use acupressure on one location of the body to treat another part of the body. For example, Acupressure on Luo zhen on the hand can treat neck tension and pain.

What can Acupressure treat?

Release emotions such as anger, fear, worry, grief, and more
Relieve pain
Improve Immunity
Improve breathing
PTSD, trauma, physical ailments caused by trauma
Anxiety, depression, abandonment, support PMS, and more.

How does Acupressure Work? Acupressure uses gentle, firm pressure to:

Release Muscular tension (similar to trigger points)
Promote circulation of blood
Stimulate body’s natural self-healing abilities
Released stored emotions within the body
Alleviate stress
Release endorphins through human touch (natural Pain relievers)
- The endorphins released by the pituitary gland and go to blood through the cerebrospinal fluid
- Releases toxins

Benefits of Self-Acupressure Practice: Able to practice whenever, wherever you need/want to, individualized treatment, self-empowering through the practice of self-care, connecting, and grounding yourself through your own touch.

How does Acupressure release emotional trauma? The body has a natural defense against traumatic events by discharging the intensity of the event. The “traumatic event causes the body to contract its muscles and harden, like protective armor, to shield the inner self”. Here, the tension prevents the energetic charge and intensity of the trauma from entering your body freely. If the tension of the trauma is not later integrated into the body followed by a release; then, increased stress, emotional, and even, physical ailments may occur.

Any side effects? Acupressure is safe with minimal side-effects. It is important to sit, or lie, comfortably while doing Acupressure as light-headedness, intense release of emotion may occur. There are some general precautions such as: avoid the stomach during pregnancy, or life-threatening disease, apply pressure gradually by avoiding abrupt and intense pressure, use lighter touch in lymph areas including the throat, groin, below the ears, and outer breast near the armpits, do not pressure directly on a burn, recent scar, or tumor, do not perform under use of drugs, or alcohol.

General Outline for Acupressure Practice:

Focus on slow and deeper breathing to increase awareness and to calm.
Sit in a quiet, distraction free area. Give yourself time with the deep breathing to bring awareness to your body and go within. What sensations do you notice?
Do select Acupressure points with deep breathing, hold the points without any other movement, and bring awareness to any changes, or releases that may arise. Any changes in tension? Increase relaxation? Where? Any changes in temperature? Any emotions arise?
As emotions arise, continue breathing-press CV17 in the center of the sternum to open the chest and calm. Understand deep relaxation can release “memories, feelings, variety of involuntary body responses such as shaking, yawning, or light-headedness”.
When the Acupressure point “releases and the tension surrounding the point softens, or begins to pulse regularly; then, move unto another point.
Image a connection to the Earth: visualize a grounding cord from the base of your spine connecting to the center of the Earth.
Allow yourself to time to unwind, cover yourself with a blanket, allow yourself to shake if needed. Slowly take deep breaths and slowly open your eyes as you reconnect to the present.
After Acupressure session: it is recommended to take a nap afterwards to allow your body to process the release and relax, avoid cold drinks/icy foods, and chaotic environments.

Acupressure Points for Anxiety:

Anxiety is a normal reaction to any anticipated, or imagined, danger to ready someone to fight-flight-freeze-fawn mode. Anxiety can be motivating to avoid danger, or push towards our goals; but it can be uncontrollable with over-worry and chronic tension.

Common symptoms: chest tightness, neck/shoulder tension, headaches, digestive problems, aches/pains, insomnia, poor concentration known as brain fog, restless, irritability, or fatigue

P-6: “Inner Gate”: relieves nausea, anxiety, palpitations, wrist pain. Location: inside forearm, 3 finger-widths above the wrist crease.

2. CV-17 “sea of tranquility”: opens the chest, activates thymus gland, and counteracts anxiety, nervousness, panic, anguish, depression, and more. Location: indentation on the sternum, go 4-finger-widths from its base, hold with fingertips.

3. Yin tang, “3rd eye”: anxiety, stimulates hormones to relieve anxiety, calms the body, relieves nervousness, increasing intuition, and emotional balance

These points are useful in decreasing, calming, and managing Anxiety in-between Acupuncture treatments. If you are experiencing anxiety and would like to learn more how Acupuncture can help; feel free to schedule an Acupuncture consultation by calling 480.690.8933.

Improving Male Infertility With Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, & Supplements (Part 2)

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 16:00:16 +0000

In our Part 1 Blog for Male Factor Infertility, we have already covered “What is Male Infertility”, its role in how it contributes to infertility challenges for couples, the various types of testing to get before trying to conceive, the potential causes and factors contributing to Male Factor Infertility, and much more. Now, it is time for the fun information for Improving Male Infertility with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, & Supplements. We will cover how TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches Male Infertility, explain how Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine can Support Male Factor Infertility, some basic nutrition recommendations, lifestyle adjustments, and an outline of supplements for basic Male Fertility to improve Sperm health.

While having the diagnosis and completed testing performed by a Reproductive Health Specialist can be helpful to know the overall sperm health and functionality alongside male hormone and thyroid health; Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be used as a stand alone treatment for improving Male Factor Infertility, or alongside REI. TCM looks at the environment and vitality within the body, while considering outside influences that may throw off the balance of health. When diagnosing Male Factor Infertility, TCM practitioners and Licensed Acupuncturist consider the organ relationships, the functionality of the fluids such as sperm, determining any obstructions and blocks for health, and reviewing the mind-body connection via stress management and emotional health.

In TCM, the sperm health relies on three aspects: the essence made from the Kidneys, the flow of qi (oxygen and gases across the tissues) from the Liver, and flow of qi and blood. The kidneys help produce our sex hormones, stress hormones, and much more. When we are stressed, our Liver qi becomes overpowering to other systems, or becomes stuck. There is a major channel known as the Liver meridian that connects to the pelvis and reproductive area. When the Liver is stressed, or congested, it cannot filter all the blood to take out waste products such as used stress and sex hormones, or help convert our energy stores when needed. This can influence digestive health creating gut inflammation and decreasing the ability to absorb the essential nutrients from food and supplements for quality sperm.

The Kidneys play a fundamental role in sperm and male health include the ability to create quality of sperm, the ability to maintain/hold an erection, and complete ejaculation with male orgasm. This ability to release will help relieve tension in the pelvis, which improves sperm health and quality. When inquiring about Male Reproductive health, we are looking at strength of libido (too much, or too little), the ability to hold an erection and ejaculate, the quality of sperm (health, count, motility, etc) via Semen analysis, is there a history of vasectomy reversal, or scar tissue, is there abnormal discharge/swellings, past/current history of STD’s/STI’s, are there any torsion of the scrotum, and much more. After completely a thorough intake, the Acupuncturist usually will customize a treatment plan with the goal to improve Sperm health and improve chances of pregnancy for the intending couple.

How Can Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine Help Improve Male Factor Infertility? Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can help in many ways to improve Male Factor Infertility. They can improve the number of sperm count, increase the motility of sperm (the ability to move and navigate in uterus), and increase the percentage of viable sperm. If there are Antisperm Antibodies present, Acupuncture and herbs can help decrease the antibodies by 90% compared to oral prednisone at 64% decrease (3, 4). Sometimes Antisperm antibodies can develop from a vasectomy and still be present after the reversal. There was a small study that has found herbal medicine decrease variocele by 80% and increase sperm count by 70%.

How Can TCM be used alongside REI? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be used safely alongside REI such as IVF, IUI, and ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection). It takes about 64 to 72 days to make new sperm. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used as preparation to improve sperm health 2-3 months before the scheduled sperm collection to be used in IVF, IUI, or ICSI. Using Acupuncture alongside the ICSI procedure helps improve fertilization by 66% (8). Herbal medicine used alongside IUI with the focus of decreasing the Antisperm Antibodies helps improve to 41 % pregnancy rate compared to IUI along with 11% change of pregnancy rate (8).

Basic Nutrition for Sperm Health? There is not diet that is one size fits all. Everyone has individual needs. I would recommend thinking of any nutritional adjustment as lifestyle adjustments that are being used for long-term gain for yourself and the potential baby you are planning for. Keeping nutrition simple is key. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, higher protein, healthy fats, decrease sugars/processed foods, good hydration with electrolytes, and decreasing alcohol intake are some guidelines. Try to have your plate be half vegetables, quarter protein, and a quarter healthy fat (ghee, avocado, olives, etc). Fruits are high in antioxidants such as berries and serve great as a snack. Protein bars in moderation are good if more protein and keto based NOT sugar and carb based. Avoid soy products because they can lower sperm concentration (7). The goal of whole food based nutrition and quality supplements is to increase antioxidant (2).

Basic Supplements for Sperm Health: There are tons of Male Prenatals on the market. The basic recommendation is to avoid Walmart, Target, and Costco type of supplements because of lower quality and fillers used. The same applies to being cautious on what you buy on Amazon. Sprouts, Health food stores, Take Your Vitamins (Gilbert, AZ) are some local referrals I would recommend. There are professional grade supplements that can be purchased from the provider in some practices. It recommended to keep supplements to 3-5 per day maximum so the Liver is not overworked with processing them alongside the digestion. Here is an outline of some essentials within the Male Prenatal, or additional supplements that can be added:

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: 1,000-3,000 mg 3 times day for 3 months
Vitamin E with tocopherols: start with 200 IU/Day
Vitamin B complex: make sure vitamin B12 is methylcobalamin and folate is methylated (6).
Zinc: 80 mg with 3 mg of copper daily for 6 months; then, reduce zinc to 30 mg (6).
coenzyme CoQ10: 200 mg
Selenium: 200-400 mg daily; especially if thyroid is imbalanced

What does treatment for Male Factor Infertility look like? Treatment plans are customize to the individual’s and couples’ needs. It is usually recommended to prepare and complete a treatment plan for 4 months before trying to conceive either naturally, or planned REI. If the couple already has ICSI, IUI, or IVF, scheduled due to male factor infertility, it is best to complete a 6 week intense treatment plan including Acupuncture and 3-6 months of targeted herbal medicine and supplement therapy BEFORE the procedure. It is always recommended to have a semen analysis complete before starting a treatment plan and to conduct another semen analysis after the completion of treatment to compare before and after numbers. We do offer couple treatments where we can treatment the male partner before the ovulation window to improve conception outcome for natural conception.

For more information, feel free to schedule a consultation with our Licensed Acupuncturist at 480.690.8933.

Remember this is for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice given by a Medical Doctor, or Licensed Acupuncturist/Herbalist.

Resources:

Sperm numbers and Acupuncture:

Qian, Z [Clinical observation of 54 cases of male infertility treated by acupuncture and moxibustion] Journal of Chinese Medicine, 1996 Sep; 52.

Zhang J [The Acupuncture treatment of 248 cases of male infertility], Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Vol 7, 1987.

2. Mechanisms of male infertility: role of antioxidants. Sheweita SA, Tilmisan AM, Al-Sawaf H. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 30001, Tailbah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

3. “Clinical study on the treatment of male immune infertility by Huzhangdanshenyin”. Lu TK et al. 2006 Aug;12(8):750-5. Department of Andrology, Xiamen TCM Hospital Affiliated to Fujian TCM College, Xiamen, Fujian 361001, China.

4. Effects of the combined therapy of acupuncture with herbal drugs on male immune infertility–a clinical report of 50 cases. Fu B, Lun X, Gong Y. Department of Acupuncture, Second Guangdong Provincial Worker’s Hospital, Guangzhou 510720, China.

5. “Effect of Acupuncture on Sperm Parameters of Males Suffering from Subfertility Related to Low Sperm Quality”. Sherman, S. et al. Affiliations: a Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel b Male Fertility Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. DOI: 10.3109/01485019708987914 Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year Published in: journal Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, Volume 39, Issue 2 September 1997 , pages 155 – 161 Subject: Reproductive Medicine; Formats available: PDF (English) Previously published as: Archives of Andrology (0148-5016, 1521-0375) until 2008.

6. Human Reproduction (advance access) Doi:10.1093/humrep/den036 “The association of folate, zinc and antioxidant intake with sperm aneuploidy in healthy non-smoking men” Authors: S S Young, B Eskenazi, FM Marchetti, G Block, and AJ Wyrobek

7. “Soy food and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic”. http://www.acubalance.ca/content/soy-food-and-isoflavone-intake-relation-semenquality-parameters-among-men-infertility-clinic

8. “Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology”. Zhang M – J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci – 01-JAN-2002; 22(3): 228-30 From NIH/NLM MEDLINE NLM Citation ID: 12658811 (PubMed) Full Source Title: Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Publication Type: Journal Article Language: English Author Affiliation: Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030. Authors: Zhang M; Huang G; Lu F; Paulus WE; Sterzik K

9. Jane Lyttleton Course “Male Infertility: The Treatment of Male Infertility”. 1/2021. CEU course.

10. image link: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191216/Important-discovery-about-male-infertility-could-lead-to-new-treatments.aspx

What Is Male Infertility, Testing, & Possible Causes (Part 1)

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2021 16:44:33 +0000

When it comes to Fertility imbalances, many focus on the women’s health, or ability to conceive. There are many products, articles, studies, and opinions on what women should and should not do to realign any infertility conditions. Yet, the information and opinion on Male Infertility falls on deaf ears. Even though, 1 out of 8 couples experience infertility challenges and about 30 to 50 % of the cause of infertility is male factor related. It literally takes two to make a baby. It is always one of our first questions during our Fertility consultations is “Has Male Factor Infertility been ruled out?”, “Has the male partner had a semen analysis, full male hormone, thyroid, and blood panel completed?”

With Conscious Conception, both partners need to prepare their bodies BEFORE trying to conceive for at least 4-6 months. Preparing includes both partners getting blood work completed, semen analysis, possible pelvic ultrasound, an inventory on lifestyle stressors, an assessment of emotional and mental health to take on the fertility journey and intended parenthood, review of current supplements, and adjustment to nutrition.

Here, we will discuss What is Male Infertility, What is Sperm Analysis, The Possible Causes of Infertility, and What are the Western Medicine Ways of Treating Male Infertility?

When considering Male Infertility the following areas need to be reviewed:

Sperm Health and Factors Ruled out by Semen Analysis. “1 in 25 men have sub-fertility that contributes to 50% of infertility causes in couples” (1). The Semen Analysis is usually performed by the fertility clinics. Here, they will take a sample of semen and run several tests to determine the health of the sperm. Each lab will have their own ranges and standards that will be given on the final report, but the WHO, World Health Organization, included some values for Sperm Analysis:
- Total count: 39-928 million
- Volume: 1.5-7.6 mL
- Sperm concentration/count: 15-259 million per mL
- Motility (how sperm moves) includes progressive and non-progressive motility: 40-81% moving
- Progressive motility (how well moving forward): 32-75% moving
- Forms (shape of sperm head and tails): 4-48% (2)
Check into Endocrine Factors (how the hormone systems are balanced) through blood work. It is important to request a CBC with differential, complete male hormone panel, and thyroid panel. For the thyroid panel, make sure the testing includes: TSH, T3, T4, fT3, FT4, TPO, thryoid antibodies, to get a clear picture of thyroid health.
Determine if Lifestyle adjustments Need to be addressed such as certain medications, congenital factors, stress, or possible radiation.
Age Factors: As men get older, the quality of sperm can change. The volume can drop by 20% between the ages of 30 to 50 years old. The count for progressive motile sperm can decrease 5% per year, while motility drops 3% per year (1). Most families start their conception journey by ages 30 to 4o-years-old, so checking in on sperm health will save a lot of headaches.

Possible Causes of Male Infertility:

Testicular disease is a primary cause of male infertility. 66% of the cause is unknown, 20% is due to undescended testes known as Testicular maldescent, or Cryptorchidism, and 7% is due to stagnation from trauma and torsion. The Cryptorchidism is when the testes do not descend into the scrotum. This is usually seen in male infants and toddlers.
Obstructive causes are secondary cause of male infertility, which includes Reversed Vasectomy, Congenital vas deferens absence, and STD scarring. When a man decides to reverse a vasectomy, antibodies can still be present from the procedure and affect male fertility. The congenital vas deferens absence is when the tubes that carry out the sperm out of the testes are missing (3). Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD’s) such as Chlamydia can create scar tissue.
Variocele is when there are dilated veins in the scrotum. This stagnation is usually related to higher anti-sperm antibodies. See image below.

4. Some medications can affect sperm health such as Cytotoxic chemotherapy, Salazopryine, Antiepileptic medication, Testosterone, steroids, and SSRI’s such as Prozac. Steroids are known to decrease sperm count.

5. DNA fragmentation in the sperm head can disrupt the fertilization process where the DNA from the sperm cannot combine to the ovum. This can be assessed by the SCSA, Sperm Chromatin Structure assay.

6. Chemical exposure such as heavy metals, pesticides, and paints can effect our detox pathways, hormonal systems, and reproductive health. There are many ways to test and treat these chemical exposures.

7. Stress leaves us in either a fight, flight, freeze, or fawning mode. It is difficult for the brain to calm and let go. Under constant, high stress, the body will focus on survival, so all circulation will go to the limbs to respond to the perceived threat instead to the reproductive organs.

8. Radiation & Constriction: Did you know 30% decrease in sperm count and motility happens after leaving a cell phone in the front pocket for 4 hours? The cell phone creates radiation and heat which can fry sperm. The reason why the testes and scrotum hang lower and outside of the pelvis is to keep cooler than the average body temperature of 98.6 degree F. The tight jeans need to be switched out to boxer shorts because any tightness can create constriction.

9. Anti-sperm Antibodies are immune factors in males that effects male fertility. The anti-sperm antibodies can be seen in vasectomy reversal, prostatitis, and inguinal hernia. 9-36% of infertile men will have the anti-sperm antibodies, while 70% of men with this came from reproductive surgeries. In Western Medicine, this would be treated with immunosuppressive medication such as corticosteroids, or cyclosprone, alongside ART, IVF, IUI, and/or sperm injection. The sperm would go through a sperm washing to wash off the anti-sperm antibodies. With this method, IVF is not affected by the anti-sperm antibodies. The challenge with this treatment is the procedures are invasive, have possible side effects from the medication, and lower efficacy.

Western Medicine Approach to Male Infertility usually includes IVF, In-vitro Fertilization, IUI, Intrauterine Insemination, or ICSI, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Sometimes other medications and synthetic medications will be used for both the man and woman to help control the cycle, ovulation, and sperm health. The sperm washing will be used to wash of anti-sperm antibody. Some Fertility Specialists will recommend some lifestyle adjustments such as nutrition, supplementation, stress-management, and possible Acupuncture. We will discuss how Sperm Health can be improved with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Supplements, and Nutrition in Part 2 blog.

References:

“Male Fertility: Treatment of Infertility by Jane Lyttleton, L.Ac., CEU Class
WHO Sperm Analysis Stats: https://www.healthline.com/health/mens-health/normal-sperm-count
“Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens” . U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health. 18 August 2020. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/congenital-bilateral-absence-of-the-vas-deferens/

MARCH 14, 2021

Uterine Fibroids, Acupuncture, & Herbal Medicine

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 21:48:06 +0000

We have all heard of Uterine Fibroids and how they can be invasive to our wombs and lives. Most often, uterine fibroids can happen at any point during our reproductive age from menarche (1st bleed) till menopause. It is very common for increase growth of fibroids during the ages of 30 to 40-years old. 1 out of 10 women have the uterine fibroids without the obvious symptoms of pain and heavy bleeding. Did you know it is quite common for our follicles to develop into cysts on the ovaries until they are matured and released as an oocyte for ovulation? If there is an imbalance in our monthly hormonal transitions; then, these cysts may develop into fibroids seen in P.C.O.S. (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

The cause of uterine fibroids are still unknown but there are a few things that can contribute to their growth. There is an a genetic component to uterine fibroids. I am sure some of you have heard of the stories from your mom, grandmother, and aunts, in how they had painful periods, heavy bleeding, felt 5 months pregnant, and most often decided to try birth control, or given a hysterectomy as remedies. Genetics may pass on the genes that pave way for the uterine fibroid growth BUT we need epigenetics to turn them on. The epigenetics are environmental factors that build up overtime to turn on certain genes. Of course, an imbalance in hormone transitions contribute to the growth of uterine fibroids such as progesterone, estrogen, and growth factor. The uterine fibroid has more receptors than healthy muscles do for estrogen and progesterone; so their growth can be influenced by these hormones throughout the month.

We do know uterine fibroid growth starts in the brain because the center of the brain (the pituitary gland and hypothalamus) will release FSH, follicle stimulating hormone, which will communicate to the ovary to release estrogen. The estrogen may be received from the fibroid cells and increase growth.

What Factors Contribute the development Uterine Fibroids? There is a common thread of uterine fibroid growth from ages 30-40-years old, African-American women, or starting a period before the age of 10. Certain lifestyle choices such as a nutrition filled with meat and trans fats because these can increase adipose tissue (fat). The more fat we have, the more likely androgens change into estrogen.

If one has a vitamin D deficiency; then, they can increase their changes of fibroid growth. This can be checked by blood work for testing vitamin D3. One interesting fact that protects one from uterine fibroids is smoking because smoking blocks estrogen. This is unfortunate because of the harm smoking can do and I do not recommend starting to smoke to prevent fibroids.

How would I know I have Uterine Fibroids? The most common symptoms of Uterine fibroids include heavy menstrual bleeding longer than 1 week (7 days), constipation, enlarged lower stomach/ bloating, and depression. Some other symptoms may happen are pelvic pressure and pain because of the fibroid is weighing down on the pelvic floor. This can cause frequent urination and difficulty emptying the bladder because the bladder, uterus, and colon are all aligned and in the level. Back pain, leg pain, with a dull ache and a sense of heaviness because the fibroid is compressing this area and pulling on the broad and round ligaments; which hold the uterus and ovaries up.

Are Uterine fibroids serious? Complications from uterine fibroids include anemia because of the monthly, heavy and prolonged bleeding, risk of miscarriage with certain types of fibroids such as the submucosal fibroid because it will compete for circulation with the baby, placenta abruption where the placenta detaches from the uterine lining, premature labor, and others.

How are Fibroids diagnosed? There are a few steps to take to determine if one has an uterine fibroid. It is important to schedule an appointment with an Ob-gyn that you feel safe and comfortable with, so a pelvic exam can check out the shape of the uterus. Usually, the doctor is trying to feel if the uterus is hard, boggy, and/or lumpy. If the uterine shape is off; then, the doctor will order a Pelvic Ultrasound to map and measure any fibroids found. Some blood work such as a CBC differential will be ordered to rule out anemia and a female hormone panel can be used to determine hormonal levels. Sometimes if the size cannot be clear on the Pelvic Ultrasound, the doctor may recommend a MRI to get an accurate of size and location. There are 2 other procedures that can be used for uterine fibroids: Hysterosalpingography and Hysteroscopy. The Hysterosalpingography is used to show submucosal fibroids and to see if there are any fallopian blocks. This testing is important to determine fertility health. The hysteroscopy is used to see the uterus through the cervix.

How are Uterine Fibroids usually treated? Traditionally, if there are no symptoms from the fibroids; then, usually they recommend “watch and wait” because of the idea fibroids may self shrink. While this maybe true for small fibroids, this is bad advice because the periods are unpredictable and this poses risk for infertility for those trying to conceive. The other options are drugs, hormonal therapies, and surgeries. Usually, hormonal therapies include GnRH agonist to block estrogen production and progesterone; which basically puts a woman in a temporary menopause state. This helps stop the period, may shrink the fibroid, and improve the anemia because of no more heavy bleeding. The progestin therapy as an IUD helps provide symptom relief to stop heavy bleeding and prevent pregnancy. Oral contraception (certain birth control pills), help stop bleeding and reduce the fibroid size. But all of the hormonal options cannot support a woman when she is trying to conceive. The drug, surgery, and hormone therapy options we will not discuss because these are out-of -the-scope of an Acupuncturist, so it is important to talk to your Ob-gyn about these options.

Can Acupuncture & Herbal Therapy Help with Uterine Fibroids? Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Nutrition can help reduce uterine fibroids, improve fertility options, and manage any regrowths of fibroids. Usually, if the fibroid is 6.5 cm, or smaller, Herbal therapy can help reduce the fibroid; while the Acupuncture can help regulate the hormone levels such as estrogen.

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), we are looking at the type of fibroid one has based on the location, type of pain, what makes the pain/fibroid symptoms worst, and other symptoms present. Once the TCM pattern is diagnosed; then, the treatment plan will include Acupuncture, herbal medicine for the type of fibroid and pattern, nutritional recommendations, and sometimes stress management techniques.

The Acupuncture points used for each person will vary and customized to their type of fibroid and pattern. This will help address the symptoms and root cause of why these fibroids are growing in the first place. The herbal medicine are customized to the person’s needs and can be adjusted overtime as symptoms improve. The herbal medicine will be used to either help reduce pain, improve blood circulation, help balance hormones, and target the fibroid to decrease in size. The goal is to change the environment that invited the fibroid to grow, so we can try to prevent them from reemerging after reducing the fibroids.

Nutrition to Decrease Fibroids: It is important to avoid trans fats and reduce red meats because these contribute to increase Omega 6’s, which increase inflammation, pain, and swellings such as fibroids. It is important to eat whole fruits, vegetables, and grains (sometimes) and decrease caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods. I know it is challenging to change our eating habits but it is important in the long run of uterine health and reducing fibroids.

Lifestyle Recommendations includes exercise and mediation. For exercising, focus on strength training 2-3 times per week to build lean muscle and decrease fat. Decreasing fat tissue helps decrease excess estrogen levels and lowers the growth rate of the fibroid. For cardio, move your body that is fun for you. Try short 20 minutes interval training and remember to fuel before and after the workout with whole foods. This helps control insulin and blood sugar levels.

Treating Uterine Fibroids with TCM Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is NOT a quick fix. It is not a pill but a lifestyle adjustment with herbal therapy and Acupuncture. It takes at least 4 months to see changes in reducing fibroid growth because their growth is influenced by the monthly hormonal changes. It is usually recommended to have a Pelvic Ultrasound before seeking Acupuncture and herbal therapy because we can know how big, location, possible type of fiborid (need MRI), and how many we are working with. Normally, I will recommend getting another Pelvic Ultrasound after 4 months of treatment to check progress. While this treatment strategy takes time, it is safe, drug-free, and the least invasive option. Sometimes this is an option for those trying to conceive, had fibroid regrowths after surgery, or are not responsive to hormonal therapies.