Grief is a universal human experience. It transcends culture, race, and gender, affecting all of us at some point in our lives. However, for women suffering from infertility, it is a particularly painful experience that can lead to psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Statistics show that anxiety and depression are common conditions among women, with twice the prevalence compared to men.
If these statements resonate with you, there is a way to overcome this trauma that you can trust – the holistic approach of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture. TCM practitioners can use therapies such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and dietary nutrition to treat these mental health-related conditions, including anxiety and depression.
We will delve deeper into the stress and anxiety caused by infertility from a TCM perspective, what treatment methods they will use, and how it can improve your fertility journey.
Stress for TCM
There is evidence to suggest that stress may have an adverse effect on the outcomes of infertility treatments. According to TCM theory, stress disrupts the harmonious flow of qi (energy) within the body. When you experience stress, it can lead to stagnation of liver qi, potentially causing excessive internal heat and poor blood circulation. If left untreated, this can disrupt the body’s balance and lead to other health problems.
You may notice symptoms such as irritability, weight gain, body pains, and headaches. The function of the spleen is to facilitate the seamless transformation and transportation of food within the digestive system. If it gets impeded by stress, it can lead to internal dampness. This excess fluid can only be eliminated through the right diet with the guidance of TCM practitioner. It may include foods that help dry and expel excess moisture, such as yams, asparagus, whole grains, ginger, sweet potatoes, barley, and coix seeds.
Combining the right diet with acupuncture in TCM can help alleviate congestion, restoring the natural flow of qi within the body. As complications of pregnancy are symptoms of chronic stress, regular acupuncture treatments from a TCM clinic in Dubai may help restore your fertility.
Anxiety for TCM
For most expectant mothers, prolonged attempts at conceiving without success can lead to disappointment, despair, and severe psychological distress, especially for those seeking assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an expensive, lengthy, and anxiety-inducing process, and the mental stress it entails is evident. Consequently, many women are looking for alternative therapies to reduce anxiety and relieve stress to increase the success rate of IVF.
In TCM, anxiety is seen as a disturbance of the Heart and Spleen systems, which are responsible for emotional balance. Common symptoms of this condition include insomnia, panic attacks, and palpitations, and maintaining emotional balance is crucial when dealing with these situations.
Acupuncture for anxiety
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been widely used as key remedy for mental disorders since 1100 BC. Acupuncture is an effective treatment that can potentially control anxiety in infertile women.
How often acupuncture for anxiety?
It is recommended that patients should be able to get 2-3 treatments per week in the first few weeks, then transition to once a week for a few weeks, and maintain once a month or even once every 2-3 months for a period of time time.
Acupuncture can enhance the chances of IVF pregnancy through four plausible mechanisms:
- Regulates neuroendocrine factors;
- Increases blood flow to the uterus and ovaries;
- Modulate cytokines, and
- Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.
Herbal medicine for anxiety
Herbal therapy is another common approach in treating anxiety disorders. TCM practitioners select different herbal formulas based on the patient’s constitution and condition. They use the properties of Chinese herbs to regulate the body’s yin and yang balance, thus achieving relief from depression and anxiety. Some commonly used Chinese herbal formulas for treating anxiety include Polygonum Root (He Shou Wu), Jujube Date (Hong Zao), Rehmannia Root (Shu Di Huang), Ginseng (Ren Shen), and Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (Suan Zao Ren).
TCM for restoring fertility
Every mother goes through the stages of grief at her own pace. When you choose the treatment plans of TCM for fertility, there are plenty of options that you can take, including acupuncture and herbal treatments. The philosophy of TCM considers your body and lifestyle as a single system, and TCM will provide you with a detailed and practical fertility treatment focusing on improving sperm quality and ovarian function.
Our clinic’s TCM practitioners here at Shanghai Medical Clinic have mastered customized treatment approaches based on the patient’s condition. We will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals, and provide a unique fertility treatment plan.
