DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

A story about a couple in Manhattan treating infertility with traditional Chinese medicine. Some interesting background on some of the theories behind Chinese medicine:

“Hunyuan is an alternative fertility treatment of acupuncture and herbs, used by practitioners around the country trained and certified by Yaron.

A philosophical Taoist concept, Hunyuan translates as “’primordial origin or energy’ n the inborn energy in everything that’s there by itself,” says Yaron, who is fluent in Chinese. “We have an inborn ability to be healthy.”

In fertility, Hunyuan refers to the inborn ability of every woman to conceive naturally.
Chinese medicine believes that to conceive, both partners must be in optimal health. “We need to get you as healthy as we can, and pregnancy happens naturally, as it should,” Yaron says.

Most of the Seidmans’ patients have tried in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and are looking for another option.

“Doctors don’t know why IVF fails,” Yaron says. “They say the woman is too old or has poor egg quality. But from the Chinese-medicine point of view, if a body isn’t in optimal health, a pregnancy won’t develop.”

Nutrition can affect the quality of both egg and sperm. Taly tells of a patient diagnosed with a low sperm count, who took Chinese herbs for two months, and tested normal.

Chinese medicine does consider egg quality, but only in relation to the woman’s state of health, not as much to her age. All women eventually stop ovulating naturally. But a stressful life can affect the health of the egg, Yaron says. “If you eat well, keep stress away, and use Chinese medicine, you can be 44 but your reproductive system can be like 38. Your ability to conceive all depends on what you do to get your health back.”

Western medicine addresses infertility with harsh drugs and invasive procedures, but Chinese herbs work to repair the body. “Our challenge is to educate people that there is a gentler way to treat infertility,” Yaron says.”

Tags: Women's Health //