DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Couples having difficulty conceiving are using acupuncture and Chinese medicine in addition to or to complement western fertility treatments:

“Infertility affects more than 6 million women and their partners in the United States, or about 10 percent of the reproductive-age population, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

While most infertility cases, 85 percent to 90 percent, are treated with conventional therapies like medicine or surgery, some women are also starting to turn to acupuncture either alone or in conjunction with Western therapies.

Smith’s acupuncturist, Nicole Jurkovic, said in the three years since she opened her practice in Asheville, about 30 percent to 40 percent of her clients have been women with infertility problems.

“People are wanting answers and a different way of looking at infertility that hasn’t been explored enough,” Jurkovic said.
A holistic approach

Both Jurkovic and Whittle subscribe to the practices of Chinese medicine, which takes a holistic approach to diagnosing and treating patients.

Traditional Chinese medicine sees the body as a balance of two opposing forces: yin, or cold, and yang, or hot. Health is achieved through the maintenance of a balance of yin and yang, which practitioners balance through a patient’s diet, lifestyle, nutritional and herbal supplements, and acupuncture treatments.

During treatments, an acupuncturist uses a small, metallic needle on a series of acupuncture points that connect channels of energy in the body. The needles are used to regulate the flow of qi, or vital energy, through the body. A blockage of qi leads to an imbalance of yin and yang.

For women dealing with infertility, the process helps to balance their hormones, increase blood flow to the uterus, boost the immune system and relieve stress, all helping their body to conceive, Jurkovic said.

“I was a little bit skeptical at first because we’ve been through so many treatments before,” Smith said. “After seeing the results, I feel like we’re on the right track.”

Smith said while she isn’t pregnant yet, the acupuncture treatments and herbal supplements have given her more energy, helped to regulate her menstrual cycles, alleviated pain in her neck and helped her to feel more relaxed.

Rebecca Piersma had been trying to have a baby for nine months when she started acupuncture treatments with Jurkovic last fall. She is now three months pregnant.

“I feel like it is a really positive thing because it takes into account everything going on in your life,” said the 25-year-old Fairview woman. “I realized I had to give my body time.””

Tags: Women's Health //