Infertility
What is infertility?
There are two main kinds of infertility,Primary Infertility and Secondary Infertility.
"Primary Infertility" refers to the condition of a woman who has failed to become pregnant for more than two years although her partner's reproductive cycle is normal.
"Second Infertility" describes the condition of a woman who has failed to become pregant for more than two years after a labour or miscarrage.
More and more woman are now suffering from primary infertility, because many of them start planning a family late in life (beyond the age of 30) and many have been long-term users of the Pills.
What is the cause for infertility?
There are several causes of infertility. To make a proper diagnosis, it is firstly necessary to exclude the possibility of a congenital abnormality or defect of the reproductive organs.
1. Infertility is generally due to congenital deficiency of kidney Qi,which may imply deficiency of kideney Yang. In such case, the uterus cannot be warmed.
2. A deficiency of kidney essence and blood can also result in infertility, by depriving the Chong and Ren channels and collateral of the uterus of nourishment, and deficiency of Yin also leads inevitably to hyperactive of fire, which may accumulate in the sea of blood.
3. A third cause of the condition is mental depression or anger, which produces stagnation of the liver Qi and thus disharmony of the Qi and blood. As a result, the function of the Chong and Ren channels are impaired.
4.Obesity, due to indulgence in highly flavoured foods, is the fourth cause of infertility. This impairs the function of the spleen in transportation and transformation, producing internal phlegm-damp, which retards Qi circulation and thus blocks the collateral of the uterus.
5.The fifth causative factor is residual menses or blood after labour which, when affected by exogenous pathogenic cold coagulates and again blocks the collateral of the uterus.
What can Chiniese Medicine (TCM) do for infertility?
Traditionally, Chinese medicine treats infertility on the basis of the following differentiations: Deficiency of the kidney---Yang or Kidney---Yin, stagnation of blood.
1. TCM doctor can do acupuncture to help with the blood circulation and body balance.
2. TCM doctor will prescribe the herbs for warming the kidney, toning Yin, blood and essence, regulating the liver's function in maintaining free flow of Qi, relieving depression, invigorating the spleen and nourishing the blood, resolving phlegm-damp, circulating Qi and improving blood circulation, clearing the channels, resolving blood stasis and regulating menstruation.
3. We also have drinking liquid and tablets to give your body nutrition, at the same time, regulate your body completely and help to get pregnancy.
Fertility & IVF support treatment reduce rate of high FSH levels and improve egg quality, increase rate of ivf embryo implantation success.
Acupuncture and IVF
Research suggests that around one in six couples are likely to experience problems conceiving, with more turning to IVF and donor insemination as alternatives. While infertility is often thought of as a female problem, only a third of cases can be linked solely to women. Fertility issues affect both male and female partners, and couples are increasingly turning to traditional acupuncture to help them conceive.
In men traditional acupuncture treatment has been shown to influence the quality and quantity of male sperm, improving the motility and count. In women, it can regulate the menstrual cycle and promote ovulation by controlling hormonal imbalances, thus helping to increase the chance of natural conception.
Not only can acupuncture have a positive impact on the patient’s mental and emotional state but it has a wide range of other benefits for both male and female partners. Individuals may experience increased energy, inner strength and vitality. When partners who are struggling to conceive both opt to have acupuncture, it can have a very positive effect, uniting them as a couple and helping to create a calmer, more relaxed state of mind. In addition, couples that have acupuncture treatment for a three to six month period may well find they can conceive naturally, negating the need for IVF treatment. If couples do chose to have IVF however, acupuncture works alongside it very effectively to increase the success rates.
In my experience and that of my patients, acupuncture has a lot to offer couples trying for a baby, whatever their diagnosis. Dealing with infertility can be extremely stressful and both parties can become tense and anxious. This can result in a reluctance to keep trying because previous attempts have failed with every passing month, bringing more pressure on both people.
Male patients often benefit from the relaxation acupuncture brings and are relieved when tests show their sperm has improved. Getting pregnant is not the end of the story and I often treat women through the whole pregnancy. Of course the most rewarding part for me is when I get to meet the long awaited baby in person and see the joy of the new parents
While some couples look to acupuncture for help with specific fertility issues or conditions, others choose to have treatment to help maintain overall health and well being. Regulating the flow of Qi, the body’s motivating energy can help boost energy levels as well as ward off illness.
Traditional acupuncture is a tried and tested system of traditional Chinese medicine, which has been used in China and other eastern cultures for thousands of years to restore, promote and maintain good health. Its benefits are now widely acknowledged all over the world and in the past decade, traditional acupuncture has begun to feature more prominently in mainstream medicine in the UK.
Hair Loss
Greasy hair, plentiful scurf and itchy scalp are the common symptoms of male trichomadesis and sparseness trichomadesis of female. it is called seborrheic trichomadesis in tradition. hair follicles and sebaceous gland will synchronously change under the function of male hormone. if the grease of sebaceous gland is secreted in huge quantity resulting in the hyperkeratosis of mouth of hair follicles, the hair follicles will be blocked and degenerate gradually. the thick and hard hairs will replaced by thin and soft hairs gradually until the exposure of shining scalp. only leaving the hairs around head. the growth of hair has the connection with the stage and physiological function of hair follicles; therefore, it is vitally important for shedding-proof and hair regrowth to improve hair follicles and their environment.
Chinese Medicine treatment externally can not only reduce the secretion of grease, hair grease and scurf, but also improve the phsiological state of hair follicles and enhance the master cells in the hair follicles to regain their hair growing function, preventing the shedding of hairs and accelerating the regrowth of hairs.
Lose Weight
Over weight besides making us look and feel less than our best, excess weight puts strain on the internal organs and structures contributing to inefficient organ function and joint pain, Ultimately this may manifest as high blood pressure, diabetes,heart disease,liver disease,bowel problems and even an early death (due to increased cancer risk). so for a sigle thing to do to achieve a better,healthier and longer life: Lose weight and maintain it at normal levels.
How can this be achieved?
Products that assist in this process are amongst the most popular and frequently requested. From the Chinese Medicine point of view they work on several principles: All contan herbs that transform "dampness"(phlegm and mucus), removing it through urine or stools. Other herbs tonify the spleen Qi (energy flow) to make digestion more efficient, regulating food usage through better nutrition. Many of the herbs are also useful at reducing blood fats and can help in people with high cholesterol. The detoxifying rffects help to assist bowel function, reducing bloating and fullness and can be helpful in metabolising stored fats, but maybe to a lesser degree than dietary control or exercise. The herbal formulas are very well balanced meaning weight loss can take place without energy loss too.
Similary, and often more effectively, acupuncture can help you with losing weight. Fine needls are inserted into the relevant acu-points, helping adjust your Yin (female,water,coolness) and Yang (male,fire,heat) balanced way to help shed off unnecessary fat and "dampness" but re-gain more energy. certain acu-point can reducing your appetite and speed up your metabolism.
Acupuncture work on certain point can significantly reduce your appetite and speed up your metabolism.
Arthritis
A matter of time? A very common condition in the Uk with an estimated 8 million suffers covering all the 200 recognised types, the commonest and most well know being osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. This pattern is reflected globally too.
It is know in Chinese medicine as "Bi" syndrome which means obstruction and indeed the pain and restriction felt from joint disease can often feel as if something has blocked or seized up. In Chinese medicine terms the obstruction refers to pain, soreness, or numbness due to a blockage in the circulation of Qi (energy flow) and blood in the channels. This is more likely to occur at the sites of old injuries, and as we get older, since our system weakens allowing pathogens such as wind, cold and dampness to invade the channels. So protect your system by regular health measures, such as regulating your weight and activity levels and avoiding undue or prolonged exposure to adverse environmental conditions, e.g. too much dampness or cold.
What if I have a problem now?
Do not despair: Each person's problem is unique and Chinese medicine over time has developed strategies that can be very effective in targeting pain control and mobility. This is primarily an affliction of the channels. So the foremost treatment is acupuncture which can access the 12 main channels through the skin, re-invigorating the Qi and blood circulation and expelling the wind, cold and dampness that has settled there. In addition when a condition has exixted for a long time in the body, the weakness created needs to be strengthened, and the use of tonic herbs can be an important part of recovery. In each case the weak areas of the body affected will vary, as with the strength and dominance of the wind, cold and damp pathogens, giving each case its characteristic symptoms.
Often success is achieved. We have included the experiences of some of our past cases so you can have an idea of the possibilities. Please remember each case is unique and our expertly trained Chinese medicine staff are always on hand to guide you into the best treatment for your case.
Stopping Smoking
Why do you need to stop smoking?
Smoking not only costs money, it is anti-social and affects your helth seriously. A smoker is easily prone to catching sore throats, skin rashes,chest infection, asthma, stress, migraine and many more illness. When you are pregnant and you risk smoking, it can easily harm your baby and there is a higher risk that your baby will be born premature or underweight.
Everyday 300 people die as a direct result of smoking- the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every twenty-four hours. As an average smoker your habit may cost you over £800 a year, but nowadays more and more of Britain's fourteen million smokers want to give up the habit - yet giving up is not going to be easy.
What can TCM do to help stop smoking?
Even if you are really determined to stop, you may have found that willpower alone is not enough. All over the world people have tried different methods to stop smoking. Nicotine Patches, Hypnosis, sometimes they work, very often they don't.
Acupuncture is a tried and tested, proven way of providing helps to stop smoking. Acupuncture is a system of medicine which restores and maintains health by the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the surface of the body to rebalance and strengthen self-healing power.
It can treat many conditions especially addictions, such as tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.Over the last eight years we have treated in the UK over 1200 patients with tobacco addiction whose smoking histories vary from 2 years to 40 years. Among these patients about 900 of them stopped smoking completely after one course of acupuncture. 200 of them reduce the amount of cigarettes greatly after the first coures and stop smoking completely after two or three coures. The rest of them needed a few more courses or regular treatment such as once every 3 months to help control the craving for Nicotine which depends on their lifestyles and how stressed they are.
Acupuncture can re-balance the vital energy of the body - the Qi which flows continuously around the meridian system, which is an energetic network of channels that not only connects the acupuncture points to each other but also directly influences the functioning of the internal organs and other controlling systems of the body.
There are 14 channels and 361 points in the body, with each point having different functions to treat different problems. In the treatment of stop smoking, we usually choose 6-7 points which connect to the lungs to re-balance its functions to stop the craving for Nicotine.
Some people imagine that acupuncture is a very long needle, sometimes even with a machine involved. It sounds painful and therefore frightening. This may be why many people will not go to see an acupuncturist. In fact, people who have been treated by acupuncture don't feel this way. They think it is a very relaxed way to help them stop smoking, it works fast and there is no pain or side effects. But before taking the treatment, you must make sure that the needles used are pre-sterilized and disposable.