How Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture) Enhances Fertility

by: Robin Hays and Nancy Rakela

Robin Hays, L.Ac., O.M.D., China; http://www.FertilityAcupuncturist.com Nancy Rakela, L.Ac., O.M.D., China; http://www.NancyRakela.com TCM describes the female reproductive system as a network of energy systems. Each energy system has complementary organs and hormonal responses. This network responds to stress, chemicals, lack of exercise, poor diet and excess emotions all of which can put the body ‘out of balance’. A TCM practitioner will carefully determine the state of your imbalances and prescribe an individualized program of herbs, acupuncture and diet to help you create the correct environment for fertility and pregnancy.

Stress Reduction

Psychological stress can have a negative effect on couples facing fertility problems. Stress leads to the release of stress hormones and causes detrimental effects on mechanisms responsible for a normal ovulatory menstrual cycle. The success of acupuncture for reducing stress and anxiety is due to its beta-endorphin release and sympathetic calming effects. Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system of be over stimulated. Thus, the blood flow is diverted away from the ovaries and uterus to the adrenals (stress coping gland) instead. This can cause irregular cycles, lack of ovulation, and infertility. Electro acupuncture and Femoral Artery Massage redirect the blood flow back to the ovaries and uterus, enhancing fertility and regulating your cycle.

Acupuncture Strengthens The Immune System

Many women with immunological factors hostile to pregnancy have been effectively treated with TCM prescription of diet, herbs, and acupuncture. When an acupuncturist treats the root problem, the immunological markers correct themselves.

Fertility Hormone Regulation

Acupuncture has been known to control pain through stimulating the release of beta-endorphin. In addition, beta-endorphin works to influence the source of women’s ovulatory and fertility hormones (the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis) and control hormones that regulate a women’s ovulation and fertility that includes gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle stimulating hormone (F.S.H.), luteinizing hormone (L.H.) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

Regulates Hormones Creating Better Egg Quality

Acupuncture normalizes the dysfunction of the Hypothalamus- Pituitary - Ovarian Axis. This improves ovarian function creating more follicles, and better egg production. It has also been suggested that the concentrations of central opioids may regulate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis via the central sympathetic system, and that a hyperactive sympathetic system in anovulatory patients could be normalized by ElectroAcupuncture (Chen and Yin, 1991). It has been assumed that various disorders in the autonomic nervous system, such as hormonal disturbances, may be normalized during auricular acupuncture (Gerhard and Postneck, 1992). www.acubalance.ca/res_medical_reduction.php.

Acupuncture Lessens Side Effects From Clomid

Clomid often causes the uterine lining to thin, which is detrimental to becoming pregnant. Acupuncture causes the uterine lining to thicken and become more uniform. This is a result of increased blood flow to the uterine arteries, as proven in the article referenced just below.

I.V.F. Assistance With Acupuncture Treatment

This study shows that acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterine arteries, creating a thicker and more regular lining, allowing for IVF to be more successful. Acupuncture also improves ovarian blood flow to increase ovarian response. Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with Electro Acupuncture Stener-Victirin,et al., Human Reproduction, Vol 11, no6. pp. 1311-17, 1996.

Decreases Uterine Contractility at Implantation

Study: Influence of Acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo ART.

Fertility a& Sterility Vol77 April 2002

"Acupuncture May Improve Success Rate Of IVF Pregnancies: Patients in the acupuncture group received two acupuncture sessions - the first treatment 25 minutes before embryo transfer, the second treatment 25 minutes after. In the acupuncture group, the pregnancy rate was "considerably higher" - 34 women (42.5%) were carrying a fetal sac at the time of examination." "Relaxing the uterus with Acupuncture treatment allows for more successful IVF." www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2002/jul/07ivf.html, www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2002/jul/07ivf.html

Acupuncture Decreases The Chance Of Miscarriage Acupuncture relaxes the uterus, increases blood flow to the uterus, warms the uterus, increases the immune system, regulates the hormones and decreases stress, all creating less of a chance of miscarriage.

Study: Acupuncture Improves Fertility In Men, Too According to statistics from the National Infertility Association (an organization also known as RESOLVE), between 35 percent and 40 percent of infertility problems among couples are actually caused by male conditions. A recent trial published in Fertility and Sterility has shown just how effective acupuncture can be in the treatment of this condition, leading to significant increases in the number of normal sperm and equally significant reductions in structural defects. Thus, Acupuncture improves sperm count, motility, and morphology. www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2005/oct/10infertility.html

For more information, see www.fertilityacupuncturist.com or www.acupuncture-works.com

Acne And Its Side Effects

If you are thinking why acne affects only you, you are terribly wrong. Acne is the most widespread skin disorder in the world, according to statistics. That’s the reason why experts and laboratories spend a lot of time doing research to determine how acne forms and how it is eliminated. Different treatments, medicines, and products have been produced to help control and eliminate this skin disorder.

In traditional medicine there are about 7 different treatments that are used in prevention and elimination of acne. There are also much different products that use these treatments in one way or another.

Some of these acne treatments that help to reduce or eliminate acne problems are: Accutane, antibiotics, Benzoyl Peroxide, herbal remedies, Retin-A and Salicylic Acid, among others.

Accutane (Isotetinoin) is a powerful drug that is normally prescribed for severe acne in cases where other treatments have failed to work. It is normally taken for a 4-6-month period.

Antibiotics were designed to fight bacteria. These are used to control acne mainly from the inside. Some topical antibiotics (clindamycin) are applied directly to the skin. Other antibiotics (tetracycline) are in pill form.

Benzoyl Peroxide is an anti-bacterial agent that has been used to control acne for many years. It has been proven to work very well in the elimination and prevention of acne.

Herbal Remedies are a relative newcomer to mainstream acne fighting. It is thought that certain herbs are effective in regulating oil levels and other body functions that are cause of acne.

Retin-A (tretinoin) is a combination of retinoic acid and vitamin A acid. It was designed to treat acne, sun damage, and wrinkles. It unplugs follicles and turnovers over dead skin cells.

Salicylic acid helps to slow down the shedding of cells inside the follicle and it is available in many treatments purchasable without a doctor's p The best way to prevent post-inflammatory changes caused by acne is to prevent acne lesions from occurring. This is done by understanding the factors that cause acne and using the appropriate treatments for the different acne types.

Choose with a professional guidance your treatment, go to your dermatologist and explain the symptoms you are developing. Most acne treatments fight the symptoms of acne, while ignoring the biological processes that actually allow oil to build up in the first place.

If your acne has not improved within two to three months, your treatment may need to be changed. In these case you must also visit your dermatologist who, according to the type of acne and providing an updated history of what you are using on your skin or taking internally, will indicate the right new treatment.

Indeed, there are no nippy fixes in treating acne and acne scars. It may involve a lot of processes and products which may vary depending on how you will utilize them or what your doctor will prescribe.

Although, many of these acne treatments (even those that claim not to cause dryness) can still end up agitating your skin and causing more harm than good. Unfortunately, natural acne treatments are often just too weak to give people the results they need. Hopefully, there’s a new natural product that works like a skin regenerating activator.

Natural Bio Skin Care Cream is made with a natural substance gathered from a little creature that nature has endowed with the ability to repair his skin quickly when damaged, and to protect it from environmental hazards and pollution.

Bio Skin Care Cream is a gentler, yet most effective solution. It actually utilizes biological activators of skin growth factors collected from mucins produced by land snails to regenerate their own skin and shell when injured and to protect themselves from the sun and environmental hazards.

Now, for the first time, BIO SKIN CARE CREAM brings you an effective skin renewal product that incorporates natural skin renewal activators to gently exfoliate the worn out cells while at the same time triggering the reproduction of new collagen and elastin cells, resulting in a coordinated biological regulation of the skin renewal process and thus advanced skin rejuvenation.