Unexplained infertility in Chinese medicine
Many couples try for a long time to get pregnant without success. Although all the medical tests of the man and the woman are normal, in most cases these couples are referred to a pre-treatment process, including treatments for clomiphene, insemination and finally IVF if the treatment is unsuccessful.
Fertility treatments combined with acupuncture significantly increase the chances of getting pregnant both naturally and in insemination. Today more and more couples tend to combine acupuncture with the fertility treatments they undergo and the success rate speak for itself.
About 15% of all couples seeking fertility treatment will be diagnosed with infertility with unexplained cause – since the couple had no mechanical or hormonal disorder or any other problem. Failure to find the problem does not mean that it does not exist, but that diagnostic tools of Western medicine can not be discover it.
In some of these couples, the source of the problem will found with the progression of the treatments and additional medical tests (such as hysterectomy, hysteroscopy, or IVF which is also diagnostic), but most couples will remain undetected even after further tests.
Couples who suffer from unexplained infertility are excellent candidates for Chinese medicine, thanks to the unique understanding of Chinese fertility medicine, and a deep diagnosis that can indicate a problem, even if all tests are normal. In such cases, the Chinese treatment may save the patient going through hormonal treatments, tests and surgeries that can cause great pain and complications.
In this situation we will ask the following questions:
- Is there ovulation and is ovulation regular?
- Is there a specific definition of infertility?
- Is the sperm healthy? Are all the components of sperm test normal?
- Is there an encounter between the egg and sperm?
Treatments in case of unexplained infertility in conventional medicine:
- Clomiphene (Clomid) – pills that induce ovulation: Usually a woman ovulates one oocyte per month, in rare cases 2 oocytes (cases of non-identical twins). The goal of giving Clomiphene to a woman who is already ovulating is to produce 2-4 eggs instead of one ovum. Thus, in the same month, her chances of conceiving are double to four times the number of eggs she has produced.
- Insemination: In the male fertility laboratory, the semen is washed and various methods are tried to increase the percentage of sperm in motion, which are injected directly into the womb during ovulation. This ensures that there is sperm in the female sexual system during ovulation. The advantage of insemination is that the sperm is improved and its quality is increased, and it is certain that sperm entered the woman’s sexual system during ovulation.
- IVF: If a couple with unexplained infertility does not achieve pregnancy after three to six cycles of treatment with Gonadotropin and Insemination, they may be offered IVF treatment.
The woman begins receiving gonadotropin injections as mentioned, when now the goal is to produce between 8-12 oocytes. The dosage of gonadotropines will be higher than in Insemination treatments. The woman will also receive additional injections designed to prevent ovulation before the date of egg extraction. When the ovary stimulation is sufficient, the woman will receive an injection for final ovulation of the eggs and will be invited to egg retrieval. Egg retrieval is usually performed under full anesthesia, although it is also possible under local anesthesia. At the egg retrieval, a needle is transferred by ultrasound through the vaginal wall to the ovaries and the follicles are extracted with the egg. The egg is then transferred to the laboratory, where the eggs are removed and fertilized with the sperm of the partner. The fertilized egg is called a fetus and is returned to the woman’s womb two, three, or five days after egg retrieval. After two weeks, it is possible to see if the fetus was implanted in the womb and a pregnancy took on with a pregnancy test – HCG (beta) blood test. - Micromanipulation: In some cases, although the sperm appears normal and the eggs appear normal, there is no fertilization in IVF. Therefore, in the next treatment, an operation called ICSI (micromanipulation) is performed in which a single sperm is taken and injected into the egg. In fact, this action is intended for cases of severe sperm problem, but sometimes it is also required for unexplained infertility. Sometimes to avoid a situation where a couple with unexplained infertility will undergo an IVF cycle without fertility, the IVF medical team may divide the eggs between regular IVF and ICSI from the very first treatment.
Chinese treatment for unexplained infertility problems:
According to Chinese observation, infertility may be caused by problems of the man, the woman, the couple, or unexplained. In 50% of the cases the problem is in the woman, 35% the problem is in the man, and 15% there is no explanation for the source of the problem.
Common causes of fertility problems:
- Male infertility.
- Lack of ovulation / hormonal imbalance.
- Absence of menstruation / Amenorrhea.
- Excessive milk hormone (Hyperprolactinemia).
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCO).
- Endometriosis.
- Low ovarian reserve, or low ovarian response and high FSH.
- Failure of the yellow corpus luteum.
- Blockage of the fallopian tubes.
- Endometrial problems.
Acupuncture for fertility:
Various studies in the world show that acupuncture can help fertility problems woman and man:
- Allows for good and effective treatment of ovulation problems and its regulation.
- Enables better function of the ovaries and therefore a higher quality of oocytes.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Creates hormonal balance in the body and thus allows for the formation of more follicles.
- Balance FSH hormone levels.
- Allows better blood flow to the uterus and thus improves the quality and thickness of the lining of the uterus and prevents miscarriage.
- Lowers side effects of hormonal therapy, such as hot flushes, stomach swelling, weight gain, depression and hypersensitivity, and stress reduction that interferes with the success of treatment.
- Combined with herbs prevents uterine contractions and helps maintain pregnancy and prevent miscarriage.
- Strengthens and nourishes the uterus, thus strengthening the fertilized egg implantation process in the uterus and preparing it for better reception of the embryos.
- Acupuncture and herbal medicine improve sperm quality and quantity (for men).
- Helps to reduce stress, reduces various side effects associated with fertility treatments, and increases the chances of a healthy and successful pregnancy.
So even in situations where there seems to be no way out, there is no no knowledge or reason, through Chinese observation we can diagnose the root of the problem and help cure even in cases where there seems to be no explanation for infertility.
At Maoz Marpe Clinic:
In the clinic we have treated and treating many cases of unexplained infertility and the results are very good and happy. It is highly recommended to try Chinese medicine in general and acupuncture, herbs and nutrition in particular.
