A case series of acupuncture treatment for female infertility with some cases supplemented with Chinese medicines

IntroductionDelayed marriage is a prominent trend among Chinese citizens in Hong Kong. Such substantial delays expectedly postpone the age of pregnancy, to the extent that aging has become a risk factor for female infertility. There are many underlying reasons for female infertility. Acupuncture has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is suggested to be effective for treating infertility. The objective of this study was to observe the outcome of acupuncture treatment on infertile females with some cases supplemented with CM.Materials and methodsIn this case series, female patients who sought medical consultations for infertility were clinically observed. They were treated either with acupuncture alone or with prescriptions of Chinese medicines (CM), based on individual's condition and/or pathogenesis of the disease. There was no obvious major cause of infertility in terms of Western medical diagnosis, yet 15 patients were classified as having “Stagnation of Liver qi” according to Chinese medicine diagnosis theory. Twenty-one patients who completed the course of treatment were studied. Eight patients were treated with acupuncture only, while the remaining 13 patients received acupuncture treatment supplemented with CM.ResultsOver a period of two years there were 14 women who were successful in becoming pregnant (66.7%) and 7 patients were not yet pregnant upon termination of treatment. None of the 21 cases exhibited any adverse effects.ConclusionThese observations suggest that acupuncture, either with or without CM supplementation, could be an effective option for treating infertility.