Fertility treatment
Women's health is a specialist area in all forms of medicine and in China there've been gynaecology specialists since the Tong Dynasty (700 AD). In 2011 Justin gained a post graduate diploma in TCM Gynaecology and Obstetrics from the Women's Natural Health Practice in London to increase his understanding and raise the standards of his practice when treating fertility.
One in six couples experience fertility problems in the UK and it's a very difficult situation to be in. It's really important that if a couple chooses to have treatment for this, that they get treatment from someone who understands the subject well, who can offer sensible advice and appropriate guidance.
Treating fertility is a complex area of medicine and it's much more difficult to practice than most other issues. It requires a deal of attention to detail and expertise and requires extra time and knowledge to practice: the fees that are higher than for general practice reflect this.
A month by month Guide to pregnancy is available here as a pdf; it's a useful resource as to what to expect and what stage of development the baby is at.
Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and some Naturopathic medicines are used in fertility treatments. As a 'follow-on' from the diploma course Justin has been inspired to research and write an information website called 'morefertile'. The aim of the website is to inform couples about the issues involved in fertility and help them to raise their natural fertility.
Both Western and Chinese medicine have their strengths in treatment and diagnosis and these can stand alone or be used together. Getting an accurate Western diagnosis is essential for many couples as treatment can then be more focused and effective. Sometimes this leads to Western medicine treatment, sometimes couples choose to have Chinese medicine on its own or alongside Western treatment; both are viable options.
The advantage of choosing Chinese medicine is reduced cost, increased conception rates relative to no treatment and effectiveness three times that of Clomid and twice that of IVF for couples diagnosed with 'unexplained infertility'. There's some evidence to say that Chinese herbal treatment used alongside IF protocols doubles success rates.
Treatment aims to increase the health of the woman (or man), improve the characteristics of the reproductive system and increase the quality of the eggs and sperm that a couple have. If this isn't successful, the work on their fertility and health should still mean the couple's in a better position to succeed with IVF should they later choose that route as a result of the treatment.
More useful information regarding fertility treatment can be found at http://morefertile.com/.
If you have any questions about acupuncture and how it can help you please email Justin Hextall
