Chinese medicine has long been used to aid fertility.Treatment includes acupuncture, herbs and massage. It aims to restore harmony and balance and eliminate other impediments to conception.
Herbs are usually given in combinations (formulae) which are often modified for each patient. Herbs can be administered as pills, powders, tablets, or decoctions (teas). All can be effective. Regardless of achieving pregnancy, many patients report improvements to their health and sense of well-being.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are also valuable complements to in vitro fertilization(IVF), and may significantly benefit the outcome of this procedure.
IVF patients are given herbs and acupuncture at several critical stages during the procedure. At the first stage, when birth controls pills are administered to regulate hormonal activity, herbs and acupuncture are used to insure smooth flow to the ovaries. Next, when drugs are given to stimulate egg production, Chinese herbs and acupuncture are used to ease the stimulating side-effects of the drugs. Similar herbs are also used before implantation to relax the muscles, prevent contraction, and better enable the embryo to implant upon the uterus.