Are herbal medicines effective for infertility?
When trying to conceive my second child, I began asking around for aggressive, holistic early infertility treatments, including acupuncture, to supplement my own attempts and Western gynecological practices. Of the facilities I surveyed, the overwhelming response was Buckhead Acupuncture & Herbal Center. Mark Schwartz has been dedicated to female and male fertility since 2010.
When looking for a TCM fertility specialist to help you conceive, maintain a pregnancy, or alleviate symptoms, qualifications are important, just as in Western medicine, as not all practitioners are created equal. Schwartz has extensive training in his field. He is a licensed acupuncturist with the Georgia Board of Comprehensive Medicine and has master’s level training in Chinese Medicine, as well as a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine with an emphasis in women’s health and reproductive medicine. are also obtained. To consider a private practice, you should at least see a licensed acupuncturist to ensure you are receiving quality treatment from someone who is highly knowledgeable and under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Board of Multidisciplinary Medicine. is essential, he says.
Although there are five branches of Chinese medicine (herbs, acupuncture, dietary recommendations, exercise therapy, and longevity techniques), Schwartz’s practice primarily focuses on herbs and acupuncture for fertility issues. Schwartz said nearly every Chinese medicine practitioner in the country practices acupuncture, but not all offer herbs, which are an important part of acupuncture. “By combining acupuncture and herbs, we work to increase blood flow to the uterus, increase pregnancy rates, reduce ectopic pregnancies, and reduce the risk of certain types of early miscarriage. It also helps improve egg retrieval rates, fertilization rates, blastocyst rates and live birth rates,” he says. In case of male infertility, it can help improve erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, motility and morphology, or sperm size and shape.
Patients should expect to see a TCM doctor for 3 to 6 months to see results. “It’s not a one-time magic thing,” Schwartz says. The first appointment includes a long examination to get a complete picture of the person’s life, health history, and stressors. To receive acupuncture, patients are undressed, lie on their backs (elevated with pillows if the pregnancy is advanced), and are covered with a sheet. Next, a disposable sterile needle is inserted into the body from the head to the feet.
Schwartz always starts with three relaxation points: the top of your head, between your eyebrows, and above your sternum. For female fertility, researchers track pressure points in the lower body, including the lower abdomen, where the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries are located, and the pressure point about 3 inches above the inner malleolus bone. According to Schwartz, this distal point is the most important point related to women’s health. From there, she inserts 10 to 20 more needles, depending on the patient’s symptoms and condition.
His patients come once a week to receive acupuncture treatments and purchase herbal medicine. When performing IVF, the frequency of acupuncture increases 6 weeks before embryo transfer to increase pregnancy rates, reduce losses, and reduce ectopic pregnancies. The custom-blended herbs are taken in the form of a tea by him two to three times a day to help treat a range of symptoms for the patient.
Schwartz doesn’t know exactly how many people he’s helped, but he measures his success by the cute photos he receives of mothers with their babies in their arms. He will receive photos from me this summer.
Buckhead Acupuncture & Herb Center
678.549.7848
atlantaacupuncture.net
