Qi using acupuncture, and using Chinese herbs to nourish, support and strengthen the Qi and the Vital fluids (including Blood), as well as the internal organs. Thus the possibility of conception is optimized.
For Western women, in particular those who have delayed childbearing to establish career and/or relationship, these concepts are especially pertinent. Contemporary women are often depleted (especially of kidney yin, yang, and essence, the "root" energy) and have constrained energy (liver Qi) that causes blockages, particularly in the pelvis. Earlier in her life these blockages may have presented as painful menstrual cramps, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, PMS symptoms, etc.
Now these disharmonies may result in difficulties conceiving at any point in the reproductive cycle- production of the egg, fertilization and implantation in the uterus. Similar energy disturbances in men may result in poor sperm production, shape or motility.

An article in a recent issue of Fertility and Sterility – co-authored by Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, Dr. Pak H. Chung, and Dr. Raymond Chang of Weill Cornell – provides a summary of current research that supports acupuncture’s potential benefits for fertility treatment, including the stimulation of increased uterine blood flow and fertility hormones.

Acupuncture treatment has the following potential fertility-boosting benefits:

· Increased blood flow to the uterus and therefore uterine wall thickness, an important marker for fertility

· Increased endorphin production, which, in turn, has been shown to effect the release of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a decapeptide involved in regulating reproduction

· Lower stress hormones responsible for infertility

· Impact on plasma levels of the fertility hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and Progesterone (P)

· Normalization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, a key process in fertility

· A positive effect for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance present in three percent of adolescents and adults.

Acupuncture is the manipulation of thin metallic needles inserted into anatomically defined locations on the body to affect bodily function. These so-called acupoints correspond to areas on the surface of the body that have been shown to have greater electrical conductance due to the presence of a higher density of gap junctions along cell borders. A greater metabolic rate, temperature, and calcium ion concentration are also observed at these points.

In terms of Western explanations for how acupuncture might affect fertility, investigators have discovered that acupuncture may exert an influence over the centers in the brain that affect ovulation, and can also work on the brain to reduce stress.

Stress and the brain play an important role in fertility, Change explained, because stress can prevent a woman from ovulating entirely, while a lack of stress often promotes fertility. This trend explains why women under extreme stress often stop menstruating, and why couples often conceive while on a cruise or other relaxing holiday.

Researchers have also discovered that acupuncture can boost blood flow to women's reproductive organs, providing them with better nourishment. In addition, acupuncture appears to improve the lining of the uterus, the place where the embryo becomes embedded after conception. This lining is like "the soil in a garden," Chang explained--if it is undernourished, the embryo won't attach itself, and the pregnancy will not continue.

Acupuncture is only half of the story, however. Chinese medical practitioners rely heavily on herbal medicine for infertility. One without the other is akin to having a right hand without the left; you'll be far more effective with both. The combination of herbs and acupuncture is used to assist the natural method of conception, whether the cause of infertility involves the man or the women, or both.

Nearly 50% of infertility cases require some intervention with both parties. In men, Chinese herbs can raise testosterone levels and sperm count.

Chinese medicine for women can regulate hormones; stimulate ovulation and correct nutritional deficiencies that make sustaining a pregnancy difficult. The herbs make the body a "more hospitable environment" for the baby. This treatment is effective and gentle.

Considering that fertility drugs often cause dreaded side effects such as, weight gain, depression and mood swings, you may want to try Chinese medicine first.

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