Fertility Acupuncture Protocols or Individualised Fertility Acupuncture?

If you have decided to have Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture to aid with infertility you have no doubt done plenty of reading and research on the subject. You have probably read that when it comes to infertility there are fertility acupuncture protocols used during IUI and IVF processes. What you may not have read is that in TCM practice all treatment is based upon a persons individual TCM diagnosis and TCM treatment is tailored to that diagnosis. The question I’m asking today is around which TCM practitioner is going to achieve the best results for you, the one who uses fertility acupuncture protocols or the one who uses individualised acupuncture fertility treatment?

Diagnosis

A person presenting with infertility may have one of many underlying western medicine (WM) diagnoses, including but not limited to, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, poor sperm motility or the absence of sperm. Just as there are many WM diagnoses that are related to infertility the same can be said for TCM diagnoses.

As TCM practitioners we are highly trained in diagnosis and we make a diagnosis by gathering information from you by asking questions and engaging in discussion, reviewing WM diagnosis and treatment, medications and laboratory results, through general observation of your complexion and body positioning, by examining your tongue and through feeling your pulse. We use all of this information to guide your treatment which will enable us to get the best results for you. TCM prides its self in taking an individualised holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment. In TCM we want to address the “root” of an issue not apply a “bandaid”.

A client may present to TCM clinic with the WM diagnosis of infertility due to PCOS. In TCM we will see many clients with PCOS but they all have different signs and symptoms which lead to a different TCM diagnosis.

Women may present with one or many of the following, weight gain, acne, excess hair growth on the body, hair loss on the head, the length of their cycle could vary from 5 weeks or longer, menstrual bleeding may be profuse or scanty, there may be excess vaginal discharge, nausea, phlegm in the throat, the client may have back or knee pain, they may be insulin resistant. They may have a long history of taking the oral contraceptive pill, they could currently be taking metformin or clomid, they may be having IVF treatment.

Depending upon our assessment a client with infertility due to PCOS may be diagnosed with one of the following TCM diagnoses, phlegm damp accumulation, kidney deficiency, qi and blood stagnation or liver qi stagnation.

TCM practitioners use evidence based practice in our practice, we have a good understanding of WM diagnoses, we review research, understand protocols, attend training courses and conferences and own and read many books on specific topics. Continued professional development is very important.

Treatment

Fertility Acupuncture Protocols

Fertility Acupuncture Protocols have been developed based on research and studies and they focus on the use of specific acupoint prescription at different phases and frequencies of the menstrual cycle and when undertaking assisted reproduction like IUI or IVF. There are protocols for which acupoints are to be used prior to egg retrieval and which acupoints are to be used twice on the day of an embryo transfer, before and after the transfer.

These protocols do not allow room for flexibility, for example there is the expectation to undertake a certain number of treatment sessions and two sessions on the day of an embryo transfer. This expectation may cause emotional or financial stress for clients who are desperate to follow the protocol in order to be successful with their treatment.

It is difficult to measure the efficacy of protocols in research as all study participants present with a varying TCM diagnosis but receive the same selection of acupoints. There are no studies comparing the efficacy of the use of fertility acupuncture protocols vs an individualised treated plan in fertility. Further studies are required on fertility acupuncture protocols with larger sample sizes and various TCM diagnoses.

Individualised Treatment Plans

TCM practitioners merge assessment findings with WM knowledge and research to formulate an individualised treatment plan for you.

Returning to the case of infertility secondary to a PCOS diagnosis, when this presents in TCM as damp phlegm accumulation we would focus treatment on stomach and spleen acupoints to strengthen the spleen and stomach and clear the dampness. If the TCM diagnosis is kidney deficiency we would use acupoints that support the kidneys and blood and invigorate kidney yin, yang and jing. There is likely to be some overlap in the treatment of these two diagnoses as we incorporate acupoints to stimulate qi and blood to the ovaries. Taking this individualised approach to treatment allows us to treat the “root” of the problem and will help achieve better outcomes.

Individualised treatment plans allow for flexibility, if a client is experiencing high levels of stress attending weekly appointments we can address the stress with acupuncture, we can reassure them that missing an appointment here or there, choosing to have acupuncture prior to an embryo transfer and not after is ok. Being able to minimise stress is more important than turning up late and stressed to appointments. You can read about the value of acupuncture for stress during IVF here.

As you can see, in TCM practice one size does not fit all when it comes to acupuncture for fertility. Therefore at Sydney Natural Fertility individualised acupuncture fertility treatment is preferred over acupuncture fertility protocols to achieve the best outcomes for you.

If you would like to learn about your individual TCM diagnosis and how acupuncture may be targeted to your needs you can book an appointment with us at Sydney Natural Fertility here.