Enhance fertility at half the price
By the time they met local TCM practitioner Lorne Brown, Brett and Kim Palmer had already spent $13,000 on standard treatments for infertility. Two summers ago, Kim began receiving bi-weekly acupuncture treatments at about $60 per treatment. Later that winter, she underwent in-vitro fertilization, and received acupuncture treatments before and after embryo transfer to calm her uterus, and establish the environment for implantation. The happy result: pregnancy. "It was so exciting, so amazing. I really feel TCM played a big role," Kim says. Throughout her pregnancy, she continued to receive acupuncture treatments, which not only reduced her morning sickness, but also alleviated her arthritic back pain. At the time of my interview with the Vancouver couple, Liam, the newest Palmer family member, was a happy, healthy, four-month-old. As more patients are discovering, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers relatively inexpensive help for infertility.
The Palmers' situation isn't unique. According to some medical experts, infertility-defined as a couple's inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse-is on the rise. One in every six couples is infertile. In 20 to 40 percent of the cases, the problem originates with the male, in another third, with the female. The cause for the remaining percentage is either unknown or the result of fertility problems in both partners. Preventable causes include poor health care and lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol, diet), infections affecting the reproductive organs, and sexually transmitted diseases. Certain chemicals, often found in pesticides, also have a detrimental effect on reproduction. Conditions that block fertility are also on the rise, including endometriosis, which affects 5.5 million North American women, and low sperm count or mobility, also linked to chemical exposure. And for both men and women, fertility decreases naturally with age.
Western medicine offers several assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) such as fertility enhancing drugs and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, where a single sperm is injected into a mature egg. Intrauterine insemination involves injecting washed sperm into the uterus via a catheter through the cervix. Perhaps the most popular treatment is in-vitro fertilization (IVF), where eggs are retrieved, fertilized outside the body, and transferred back as embryos (fertilized eggs). IVF isn't without side effects, however. Exaggerated menstrual cycle symptoms, enlarged ovaries (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome), and the risk of multiple pregnancies are included in the list. Further, pregnancy rates from IVF vary. Statistics from the government's Defense Finance and Accounting Service's Canadian ART registry put the IVF pregnancy rate per embryo transfer between 39 and 19 percent depending on age. The cost is another downside; the advertised rates of one Vancouver fertility clinic start at $4,500, not including medications which, on average, cost another $3,000.
Increasingly, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is used as either an alternative or adjunct to Western infertility treatment. Based on the concept that the body can heal itself, symptoms- including infertility-are viewed as manifestations of an underlying imbalance in an individual. "There exists a Chinese parable about 'cultivating the soil before you plant the seed,'" explains Lorne Brown (BSc, CA, DTCM, RAc, RTCMP) at the AcuBalance Wellness Centre in Vancouver. "This parable, with respect to infertility, is the cornerstone to our approach." According to Brown, creating a healthy body environment optimizes the quality of egg and sperm at conception, and also provides a healthy uterine lining favourable for implantation and nourishing a growing fetus for the full nine months. At his clinic, both members of an infertile couple receive a comprehensive health evaluation incorporating both Chinese medicine principles and the benefits of modern diagnostics. "If you're going to go to someone, ask about their practice focus," he recommends. The majority of Brown's cases deal with infertility and women's health issues; other doctors will have different areas of interest.
Brown notes that often a female's menstrual cycle is disturbed, indicating hormone dysfunction. Ideally, he encourages patients to wait until three complete, normal menstrual cycles have passed before attempting conception. Interestingly, for thousands of years, Chinese medicine has recommended treating a woman for at least three months to successfully regulate her menstrual cycle; Western medicine now recognizes that the egg recruitment process occurs 100 days before ovulation, indicating a blend of Eastern and Western knowledge. TCM treatments for infertility typically include acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle recommendations. Acupuncture, however, is key. It is non-toxic, regulated in BC (see sidebar), and involves the insertion of sterile, disposable, hair-thin needles at specific acupuncture points on the skin. The purpose, as described by Chinese theory, is to enhance chi (energy) flow to corresponding areas of the body.
According to Chang et al in "Role of acupuncture in the treatment of female infertility" (Fertility and Sterility, December 2002), research shows that acupuncture boosts fertility in several ways. It increases blood flow to the uterus, which assists in thickening the uterine wall, an important fertility marker. It stimulates the hypothalamus to correct imbalances in hormone function that can interfere with getting pregnant. And it facilitates the release of endorphins in the brain. With their calming effect, endorphins relieve symptoms of stress, which contribute to infertility by disrupting the body's hormone balance. All this can have a positive dramatic effect on fertility. In one study involving 80 women undergoing acupuncture and IVF, 42 percent became pregnant after six weeks. More on this subject can be found in Acupuncture and IVF by Lifang Liang, DMD, PhD, LAc (Blue Poppy Press, 2003).
Olivia Barbeau (not her real name) has firsthand experience with the effectiveness of this bi-medical approach. Trying to get pregnant for two years, the 43-year-old Vancouverite was advised by specialists that fertility drugs wouldn't work for her as she was simply too close to menopause. After four unsuccessful attempts at inter-uterine sperm injections at $200 each, she and her partner were ready for something new. Olivia had heard about TCM through a friend, but had never tried it before. Of her first session, she recalls, "I've never had such a thorough medical history taken. That was my first indication that this might be different than the care I was used to."
She began weekly acupuncture sessions, and eventually, Chinese herbs were added to her regimen. "I knew something was happening because I was sweating and hot a lot, but feeling great," she recalls. After several months, she underwent a fifth inter-uterine sperm injection treatment, and this time, got pregnant. "At first I couldn't believe it," she says. "When [the test] turned blue, I was like 'Pinch me,' and began yelling to my husband, 'Come look at this!'" Olivia ceased taking herbs, and didn't undergo acupuncture during her pregnancy, which, luckily, was a relatively easy one. In May 2003, her son Thomas was born amidst many tears and much happiness. Barbeau is quick to credit the combination of Chinese and western medicines: "They worked really well hand in hand."
For others struggling with fertility challenges, this new approach may be just what the doctor ordered.
By Michelle Hancock
Michelle Hancock is a freelance writer with a particular interest in community events and human interest subjects. Email michellehancock [at] shaw [dot] ca.
Local Resources
Infertility Awareness - Lorne Brown of AcuBalance Wellness Centre will speak at the local Infertility Awareness Association of Canada meeting, November 24, Willingdon Church, 309-4812 Willingdon Ave., Burnaby. 7:30-9:30pm. Call 604-944-6630.
AcuBalance Wellness Centre - 409-1770 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver. Call 604-725-3826. www.acubalance.ca.
College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of BC - 5050 Kingsway, (second floor), Burnaby. Call 604-638-3108. www.ctcma.bc.ca.
TCM in BC a Regulated Health Profession
Throughout much of North America, finding a Chinese medical doctor with confirmed credentials can be a challenge. Fortunately, that is not the case in BC, the first North American jurisdiction to officially recognize traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In June 2003, it became a regulated health profession in this province. (Acupuncture on its own was regulated as of 1996.) Those practicing TCM legally in BC are licensed, and have undergone standard educational requirements similar to doctors and dentists. There are several new designations: Registered acupuncturists (RAc) may perform acupuncture. Registered traditional Chinese medical herbalists (RTCMH) may diagnose and prescribe herbal medicines. Registered traditional Chinese medical practitioners (RTCMP) may diagnose and prescribe herbal medicines, perform acupuncture, tuina (Chinese massage), food cures, and rehabilitative exercises. A Doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (Dr. TCM) may provide the same services as RTCMPs, however, Drs. TCM have an additional year of schooling, and can accept challenging referrals. For a list of qualified Chinese health professionals, call the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of BC (see resources). The website also provides helpful lists of provincially registered practitioners.
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