The HEALTH : Xtra October 2018 | Page 25

Xtra Chinese traditional medicine Enhancing fertility treatments with herbs, acupunctures and Moxibustion R ECORDED as one of the oldest healing systems to date, tradi- tional Chinese medicine has long been in continuous practice for decades. The method of treating sees each and every structure of the body as an inte- grated whole focusing on the Qi and blood. Application of traditional Chinese med- icine plays a role in fertility enhancement while the patient is going through fertility treatment such as Intrauterine Insemina- tion (IUI), In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Using treatment choices such as natural herbs, acupunctures and Moxibustion, 13/09/2018 4:41 PM XI Fertility TCM Centre, leading physician, Yuan Ting. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K TRADITION TRUMPS INFERTILITY: Success rate of traditional medicine treatment based on a recent study conducted by the International Medical University (IMU) Chinese Medicine Programme. With increasing scientifi c evidence sug- gesting that method such as acupuncture increases the chances of pregnancy during the time of IVF and Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), there are several conditions that can be improved through the therapy. This includes improvement of the function of the ovaries, strengthen the immune system and reduce stress as well as improve semen quality and one’s lifestyle. Traditional Chinese methods Acupuncture involves the penetration of the skin with needles to stimulate cer- tain points on the body. It is an important element of treatment and is currently widely accepted as a complementary health approach. Moreover, acupuncture treatments involves stimulating specifi c acupuncture points as it corrects imbal- ances in the fl ow of qi through channels known as meridians. The method is capable of increasing the chances of pregnancy either naturally or through any of the fertility treatment as mentioned. The timing of the acupuncture sessions in relation to embryo transfer diff ers from one trial to another and each session lasts around 30 minutes. When it comes to using herbal medicine, XI Fertility TCM Centre, leading physician, Yuan Ting said that all herbs are imported from Taiwan in powder form. Using a combination of diff erent forms and types of medicines to form a prescription, the method tailors to the patient’s specifi cs and individual conditions. Moxibustion on the other hand is a tech- nique that involves the burning of mugwort to facilitate healing, strengthen the blood, stimulate the fl ow of qi and maintain gen- eral health. A combination of the three techniques will help to prepare the body before an IVF/ICSI session. This includes strategies to improve blood fl ow to the ovaries and uterus thus improving ovarian functions as well as enhance the condition of the lining of uterus to implantation rates. During IVF or ICSI treatments, acu- puncture and herbs can be used to improve egg quality as well as the quantity. Chinese medicine is also noted to help improve uterus environment during egg retrieval and improved implantation after embryo transfer. With patients being as young as 30 years old, Yuan said that traditional Chinese medicine will be able to help older women as long as they still have their follicles. However, this depends on the condition of the body. The method is also known to have helped men with low sperm count as well. 1 MAIN OBJECTIVES 23 xi-fertility-pregnancy-statistic-A4-print-ready.pdf physicians are able to increase chances of success for couples looking for solutions to treat any existing fertility issues.