Unexplained infertility is the most frequent diagnosis in women. It simply means that your doctor cannot find any medical explanation as to why you are having fertility issues. This does not mean that a problem does not exist. It means that, due to insufficient medical knowledge and limitations in current technology, the medical solution is difficult to find. However, Chinese medicine can identify the subtle fertility imbalances that may interfere with a woman’s ability to conceive. More importantly, these subtle problems can not only be fully explained, but treated successfully with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Chinese medicine takes a different approach toward defining infertility; it looks at the subtle manifestations and ramifications of imbalance across the entire body. Dr. Zhou, a Chinese medicine infertility specialist, has many years of experience treating reproductive and infertility issues. She often discovers subtle fertility problems by carefully examining the different stages of a woman’s menstrual cycle and evaluating every aspect of the body’s health, individual emotions and lifestyle. Underlying factors she has found that may possibly contribute to infertility from the perspective of Chinese medicine include:

Blood Deficiency

If a woman does not have menstrual periods, or experiences a slight or short menstrual flow, the indication is that insufficient blood exists to nourish the uterine lining. Thus, the lining cannot support the embryo’s implantation and development. For successful implantation, the endometrium must be both thick and nourishing. Acupuncture and specific blood tonic herbs increase the production of blood and enhance its flow to the endometrial lining, allowing the body to produce more blood vessels and create more tissue. This contributes to the successful implantation and nourishment of an embryo.

Blood Stagnation

It is not uncommon for patients to complain of severe menstrual cramping, large blood clots, dark brown menstrual flow and incomplete discharge, followed by spotting. In Chinese medicine, we call this “static blood.” It means that the uterine arteries are experiencing poor blood flow, which makes the uterus a toxic environment. This “static blood” also affects the quality of the endometrium and, thus, hinders implantation. Acupuncture, along with blood-regulating herbs, clears blood stasis, reduces constriction in the uterine arteries, and encourages the complete discharge of menstrual blood. As a result, new endometrial tissue becomes fresh, healthy and ready for an embryo’s implantation.

Cold Womb/Cold Uterus

“Cold womb” means that the uterine lining fails to respond to the warming hormone known as progesterone. Women with this condition usually have a slow-rising and/or early-declining Basal Body Temperature (BBT). Cold hands and feet, cramps helped by a heating pad, lower back pain, a low libido, frequent urination and early-morning loose stools are also symptoms of this condition. “Cold womb” not only causes the wrong temperature for the embryo to grow, like a seed growing in chilly weather, but congeals the blood, thereby inhibiting uterine circulation. Treatment focuses on warming the uterus, which in turn maintains progesterone at satisfactory levels. This not only helps metabolic activity, but also allows the uterus to secrete sufficient nutrients, thereby creating a highly nurturing environment in which to implant the embryo.