Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine ? A Cure for Infertility

Posted by davidscrimgeour on November 28th, 2014

By Kathy Thorpe, MA, CHom, Boulder, CO

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have been used for over 2,500 years to treat infertility. As an agricultural society, families depended on offspring to work their farms and guarantee the succession of their family. Thus, there is a long history of successful and time-tested approaches using Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to enhance fertility.

Before seeking invasive treatments, couples who have not been able to conceive for a year often turn to Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine because of the high success rate. They will also try Chinese medicine if they haven’t decided yet whether they want to use infertility drugs or invest in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

David Scrimgeour, Licensed Acupuncturist and Fertility Specialist in Boulder, Colorado has been treating infertility for over 24 years. In addition to treating patients in his acupuncture clinic, he lectures widely on the use of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to treat infertility. He recently completed a translation of the book from Chinese into English, Fertility Experts and their Most Successful Treatments in China in the last hundred years.

David Scrimgeour explains why Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are so effective. “They work to bring the body into a higher state of health and vitality. In unexplained infertility, for example, there is often a very slight deficiency or imbalance that is preventing a couple from conceiving. By correcting these subtle imbalances, the endocrine system comes back into balance and conception occurs.” He goes on to say that Acupuncture is also extremely effective when used in conjunction with Assisted Reproductive Technologies because it not only improves the overall health of the woman, but also increases blood flow to the uterus. Chinese medicine is also effective at improving sperm count, quality and motility in men.

Some of the main causes of infertility according to Scrimgeour are: advanced age, stress, overwork, poor diet, lack of exercise, use of birth control pills, heredity, illness, emotional influences and poor menstrual health.

Chinese medicine recognizes three main patterns of infertility: Stagnation, which may manifest as fibroid tumors, cysts, endometriosis, enlarged ovaries, painful periods, PMS symptoms and blocked tubes. The second pattern is deficiency which presents as inadequate hormone levels, low sperm count, miscarriage, fatigue, immune imbalances, irregular menstruation and decreased flow. The third pattern is excess which is seen more in modern times than in the past. The excess is often caused by over-eating, obesity, hormone imbalances due to the use of birth control pill and toxicity.

Chinese Medicine uses four therapies to treat infertility. Acupuncture which uses fine, painless needles, which when applied by an expert acupuncturist will restore balance to the organs and endocrine system and open blocked energy pathways. Chinese herbal medicine is used to address stagnation, deficiency or excess patterns. Detoxification, if necessary, is incorporated to reduce the effects of toxicity and exogenous hormones. Lifestyle and nutritional recommendations address dietary deficiencies, exercise, stress reduction and nutritional supplementation.

David Scrimgeour maintains that through Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, he has been able to help hundreds of couples conceive and have healthy pregnancies and births. He says that his success rate is about 80%. He attributes his success to the profound wisdom of Chinese medicine and to all the Chinese doctors in the past that contributed to and perfected this healing art.

David Scrimgeour practices Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at his clinic in Boulder, Colorado. He also serves the Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette and Erie areas in Colorado. For more information, he can be reached at 303 413-9596 or through his website: www.davidscrimgeour.com.

Kathy Thorpe is a natural health writer and blogger who has been writing about alternative approaches to health and wellness for the past ten years. Prior to that, she taught English at U.C. Berkeley and at the University of Colorado. She can be reached at 303 583-0179.