We are incredibly fortunate to have access to both the wonders of Western medicine and the wisdom imparted during thousands of years of Chinese medicine. Not only are there medications and surgery available for those suffering from infertility or fertility challenges, but there are also therapeutic-grade pure essential oils, foods, and herbs that can be used to help stimulate fertility.
When coupled with acupuncture, holistic plant medicine can help men and women avoid the side effects and long recovery times caused by Western medical solutions. These are nature’s medicines and are intended to work with the body’s essence.
Here are five holistic solutions recommended in Chinese medicine for those struggling with infertility:
1. Boost your emotional health by lowering your stress level. I know, this has been suggested to you by doctors, friends, family – everyone. It’s impossible just to snap your fingers and take your stress level from a ten to a two. So, instead of giving you a platitude, I wanted to provide a few real, simple solutions to de-stress.
Take time out to connect with nature by breathing in the trees. In Chinese Medicine, the liver meridian is correlated with the element Wood.
Get acupuncture treatments, practice yoga, and enjoy a massage.
Work with your acupuncturist to detox your liver, naturally using herbs, diet, essential oils, and acupoints.
Use essential oils like bergamot, chamomile, frankincense, lavender, rose, and ylang-ylang to relax throughout your day.
Calm your mind with NET mind-body stress relief.
Sip small amounts of green or black tea throughout your day and let the stress reliever l-theanine work its magic.
2. Avoid dampness. Moisture can accumulate in your body, blocking the flow of Qi and causing stagnation in meridians. Try to eliminate phlegm-producing foods like milk, cheese, greasy burgers, and alcohol from your diet. It’s also good to avoid humid environments, so if you have a mold issue in your home or tend to forgo your raincoat during a downpour, it’s time to get these matters resolved. You can warm up with a cup of ginger tea and wear a scarf to protect the acupuncture point DU14 on the back of the neck under vertebrae C7. The name of this point is “Wind Gate” and is connected to all the energy meridians. It’s why the scarf was invented!
3. Try herbal remedies. Many herbs, spices, and foods can help men and/or women balance their body and recover fertility. These include:
Chaste Tree Berry – commonly used to increase ovarian function and helps with blood stasis.
Cinnamon – nourishes yang energy which, in turn, boosts fertility and warms the uterus.
Goji berries – boosts Qi and blood flow.
Maca – increases libido in both men & women
Pumpkin Seeds – increases sperm count
While your particular need may be addressed by treating fertility issues alone, it’s possible that your acupuncturist will find that you need a mix of herbs, diet, and acupuncture that addresses more than just a fertility issue. For example, if your Qi is blocked due to a stagnation in the channel, there are holistic herbal remedies to work on the internal energy meridians connected to the organs, allowing the body to function properly.
4. Try to maintain balance in your life. In today’s society it’s difficult to maintain balance. Acupuncture can help tune into your body, assisting you to live a balanced life. Ease within the body prevents dis-ease and creates harmony .
It’s also important to discover what other aspects of your life also need to achieve balance. It could be that you need to balance your social life with your work life, that you need to focus on those things that make you happy, that you need to get more rest, or that you simply need to get outside and enjoy the upcoming summer more – weather permitting!
5. Work on warming up. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we think of the concept of fertility as a warm support. If you have a cold belly, hands and feet, don’t just warm them on the outside. Get cozy on the inside with nourishing foods like ginger and warming spices. Your body’s constitution may not be able to stay warm – even if as it’s warming up outdoors.
You can also make sure that your life to reflects this concept of warming by making it supportive of your needs and joys. There are many ways you can incorporate more warmth in your life – both physically and emotionally.
At the end of the day, we want to provide you with a holistic solution for your fertility challenge. If this is something you’d like to achieve, be sure to contact Attunement Wellness today. I look forward to working with you through this important time in your life.
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