How acupuncture treats women having difficulty becoming pregnant
Written by Frances Desmone
August 2006
Acupuncture,
which originated in China well over 2,000 years ago, is a health
care practice involving the stimulation of selected points on the
body by a variety of techniques. The purpose of point selection
and stimulation is to balance the energy of the body known as qi
(pronounced “chee”). The most familiar technique involves the insertion
of very thin metallic needles into the selected points. The needles
are smetimes manipulated, either by hand or electrically. In the
United States acceptance of acupuncture as a treatment for a wide
variety of health conditions has steadily grown during the past
several decades. In addition to classically trained acupuncturists
there are many physicians and dentists who have received some training
in acupuncture.
Used alone or in combination with traditional medical practices
acupuncture has shown itself to be effective in the treatment of
many conditions. Addiction, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow,
low-back pain, and asthma are exmples.
Frances Desmone, a Martha’s Vineyard acupuncturist,
describes how acupuncture treats women having difficulty becoming
pregnant:
Oriental
medicine gauges women's health via the menstrual cycle. The overall
health is reflected in the variations in the menses. We look at
the number of days between the periods. They should follow the lunar
cycle of 28 days or every 2-3 months common in athletes. The flow
of the usual period lasts 4 to 6 days, but it can vary from 2 to15
days. The color of the blood normally would be bright red throughout
the period. Brown clotting is a sign of stagnation. The common symptoms
of cramping, breast tenderness and irritability reflect degrees
of imbalance. Many factors contribute to the diagnosis and regulation
of the menstrual cycle: stress, diet, too much or too little body
fat, and sexually transmitted diseases such as chlymidia. The goal
of acupuncture is to bring harmony and balance to the person, mentally,
emotionally and physically. I have treated four women who have become
pregnant with the help of acupuncture.
The first woman I treated while I was an intern in my final year
of graduate school. She was a lawyer under a great amount of stress.
At the time she was in her late thirties. She ate well but had a
history of Reynaud's disease, a condition which decreases the circulation
and presents as cold hands and feet. Her diagnosis in Chinese medicine
was ‘liver qi stagnation’. After two months of treatment she became
pregnant and now has a healthy 4 years old boy.
The second woman was leading a very active life, working two jobs
and remodeling her house in anticipation of a family. Her health
history revealed an irregular menstrual cycle with heavy flow, clotting,
cramping and breast tenderness. Her diet was good but she was prone
to indigestion. This signaled she was prone to dampness and ‘qi
stagnation’. After five treatments she became pregnant and now has
a healthy girl.
The third woman I treated had been receiving treatment from a fertility
clinic in Boston. They referred her to me because of clinical statistics
showing a 50% increase in pregnancy rates with acupuncture. Her
had poor circulation and was cold all over most of the time except
in the heat of summer. She ate a good diet and exercised regularly.
Her menses flow was heavy with some clotting. She had mild cramping
and bloating. Her diagnosis was more ‘spleen qi deficiency’. I recommended
she take her vacation before getting pregnant. My treatment focused
on her circulation and energy and balancing her menstrual cycle.
After ten months of treatment she had a healthy girl.
The fourth woman also had a baby girl. Her menses came every three
months with heavy cramping, large clots and dark blood. She also
ran cold in temperature and was under much work related stress.
For this person the diagnosis was ‘blood stagnation’ due to the
time between cycles and the large clots. After six months of treatment
she able to break the good news.
In each case there were different reasons why these women were having
difficulty conceiving. Each had a different health history revealing
disharmony in the menses, but the common factor was stress. |
