Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used to treat both female infertility and male sub-fertility conditions in the orient for the past three to four thousand years. with cultural and social emphasis on family, TCM naturally developed rapidly in the area of fertility treatments. Currently, there are several hundred herbal substances identified and used extensively in infertility treatments along with acupuncture, massage, and dietary and lifestyle adjustments. TCM treats infertility using a combination of specific herbs and the stimulation of acupuncture points to strengthen and regulate organ functions, primarily the production of hormones, an essential component to fertility. In addition, by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, Chinese herbs and acupuncture serve the fertility process by restoring a deep relaxation in the mind and body. Chinese medicine provides a noninvasive, holistic approach to reversing infertility and has a surprising success rate of fifty to sixty percent among infertile women; a very high number, considering that many women discover TCM late in their search for infertility solutions.

From the perspective of TCM, infertility is caused by patterns of deficiency or disharmony in organ systems such as the liver, heart, spleen and kidneys. The TCM patterns of disharmony such as blood stagnation, cold entrapment, phlegm accumulation, excess heat, and so on, play important roles in blocking fertility. In the vernacular of western medicine, these pathologies are known as hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction, polycystic ovarian syndrome, luteal phase defect, and other syndromes and conditions that can make it difficult or impossible to conceive. However, the key factor in treating infertility with TCM lies in regulating the menstrual cycle by re-establishing harmonious communication among the endocrine glands and creating overall health of the body in female, and in male sub-fertility conditions, TCM is always to strengthen the body and return its function substance in a better balance. it has been found that some cases of improved semen analysis with the use of TCM for more than three months. Additional improvements can be seen in increased vitality and libido.

The current biotechnological advancements have had a large impact on how many doctors as well as medical professionals view Traditional Chinese medicine. TCM was found to directly increase the rate of IVF pregnancies by: regulating the menstrual cycle and its hormones so that the body could produce larger amount of follicles, increasing blood flow to the uterus, improving the function of the ovaries enabling them to produce better quality eggs, significantly reducing stress levels, and helping to prevent uterus contracting during embryo implantations.

As many recent newspaper and magazine stories demonstrate, TCM has become increasingly popular in recent years as more and more women are waiting until they are in their mid-thirties and older to start a family. It is undisputed that women starting their families later in life have more difficulty becoming pregnant, and many couples spend up to $50,000 on attempting to conceive ? with no guarantee of success. TCM offers a better rate of success for far less money; prices for acupuncture at $60 per session, some conditions might need herbal tea combined with acupuncture as a result of the highly individualized procedure for different conditions. The cost of herbs is about $25-$30 per week. A routine treatment program consists of one acupuncture treatment each week, plus one/two more treatment during ovulation period; and/or special herbal tea for male/female or both. Many women become pregnant three months to six months after beginning treatment.

Unexplained Infertility is one of the most common diagnoses of infertility in western medicine and our clinical practice. Unexplained Infertility is idiopathic infertility due to unknown reasons even though the lab results of the fertility examinations (Day 2 or Day 3 hormone tests, uterus status, and hysterosalpingogram (HSG) for females and sperm count, morphology, and motility for males) are normal. IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is usually suggested by the specialists to people who are diagnosed with unexplained infertility.

With more than a decade of clinical practice, we have found that some infertility factors of many unexplained infertility cases could be identified. Western medicine focuses on hormone values but the performance of the hormones or physiological responses triggered by the hormones are often overlooked. We however closely monitored the clients' body temperature, which is an indicator of the performance of the hormones, when we provide treatment to our clients. Our observation shows that the progesterone level of the luteal phase may not increase even when the hormones and the LH surge (i.e. OPK (Ovulation Prediction Kits)) of the follicular phase are normal. This suggests that no ovulation occurs due to unsuccessful communication between the pituitary gland and the ovary. This situation is usually referred to as an "imbalance" in Eastern medicine. Long-term hormone imbalance induces infertility even though a couple has intercourse regularly during the OPK period.

To our clients with this type of unexplained infertility, we have applied an individualized acupuncture treatment that re-establishes hormone balance and assists them to ovulate, which makes natural pregnancy possible. Our approach provides our clients with a natural and effective option so they may not need to seek IVF treatment, which is expensive and involves exposure to a large amount of hormones with an uncertain outcome. Additionally, long-term hormone imbalance affects the development and quality of the oocytes, which is the key for becoming pregnant, regardless of IVF or natural conception.

We have accumulated substantial amount of successful clinical cases and experiences in treating unexplained infertility. There are many "unexpected surprises" that happen to our clients every year.