Bethany Muhl Acupuncture - Los Angeles, CA

Can acupuncture help unexplained infertility? The answer is yes, it can help.

Let's look at what it means to have a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. It simply means that your medical doctors don't have a definite answer as to why you can't get pregnant. You have been through all the tests and everything is fine, you just simply can't seem to get pregnant.

Those of us in the field of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture look at you differently. While we may consider your laboratory test results, we also look at all of your systems to identify underlying imbalances as a cause of infertility. We ask questions about your digestive health, about how you sleep at night, how much stress do you feel and how do you deal with it? Other questions may include what your diet is like, if you catch cold a lot, if you have pain, if you have cold hands and feet. All of these questions are posed to see where there are imbalances that need to be corrected. Acupuncture is the perfect medicine to return your body to balance and correct those underlying imbalances that may be causing your inability to get pregnant.

We look at the body as a whole. When one part is out of alignment it affects all of the other parts. When there is a symptom like unexplained infertility that means some part is out of alignment. If you have a lot of stress, low back pain and tend to have cold hands and feet, we may give you a diagnosis of Liver qi stagnation with underlying Kidney Yang deficiency.

There are many possible Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) diagnosis that are causing your undiagnosed infertility. Once we know the cause, we can start treatment to correct it.

If you would like to know the TCM diagnosis  for your unexplained infertility, I can be reached at 310-367-1564.

Many of my patients already suspect that stress is a factor in their fertility and their ability to get pregnant. Now it looks like there is real evidence that this is indeed the case.

 

British scientists have found evidence of this from the saliva samples of 400 fertile aged women. The samples measured alpha-amylase, an enzyme in the saliva that may be used as an indicator of the body's response to stress. Higher levels indicate higher stress levels. Women with high levels of alpha amylase were found to be about 12 percent less likely to get pregnant.

 

Acupuncture has been shown to significantly reduce the stress response with great success. This is very promising for women whose fertility is being affected by stress. Before trying other more invasive and expensive methods of increasing chances of conception why not try fertility acupuncture first. It is low cost by comparison, very pleasant and relaxing and it will likely greatly increase your chances of conception.

There are many ways to improve your chances of success in becoming pregnant and acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, improved diet, reduced stress are some of those ways. Next week is National Infertility Awareness Week, and it is my job as an acupuncturist/herbalist to let as many people know as possible, that Traditional Chinese Medicine has a fabulous track record at improving fertility in women and in men.

Whether you are looking to conceive naturally or if you are working with your doctor or a reproductive endocrinologist, acupuncture can help in many ways. It helps to reset your hormonal balance, it reduces stress, it improves blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, it regulates menstrual irregularities and many more benefits. Used along with herbal therapy I have helped many women who thought they would never become pregnant achieve success.

For any woman or couple who has been trying for a long time to become pregnant or who has had a history of miscarriage, acupuncture can help.

In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week I am offering free phone consultations for anyone who wishes to learn more, or to find out if acupuncture is right for you.

I can be reached at 310-367-1564.

I am frequently asked if the menopause symptom of hot flashes can be reduced with herbs and acupuncture. The answer is most definitely YES. In the majority of cases women will experience substantial relief of symptoms of menopause with regular acupuncture treatments and herbal therapy.

Many women would prefer not to take hormone replacement therapy and acupuncture and herbs are a very successful replacement. In my Los Angeles office I see women on a regular basis to help in the relief of menopause symptoms.

What causes hot flashes and how do acupuncture and  herbs help the women of Los Angeles? In Traditional Chinese Medicine we seek to balance the body and organ systems. We need to maintain a balance of yin and yang within the body. When symptoms such as hot flashes appear it is because the body's yin and yang are out of balance. As we get older our yin diminishes as part of the natural aging process. Yin is the cooling aspect and yang is the warmer aspect. When the yin is low and can no longer balance the yang, the yang or warm symptoms appear, creating the hot flashes.

Acupuncture helps by regulating the flow of yin and yang in our bodies. Herbs help by supplementing the deficient yin. By bringing the two back into balance we bring our bodies back into harmony and reduce and eliminate the menopausal symptoms, including those nasty  hot flashes.

If you would like more information on this safe and natural way to eliminate hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, I offer free telephone consultations for your convenience.

You can reach me at my Los Angeles office at 310-367-1564

In the news this week is a new drug in clinical trials to combat menstrual pain. It could be some time before this drug is approved by the FDA. We also don't know what kind of side effects will come along with this new drug. What we do know is that acupuncture and Chinese herbs have successfully been helping women overcome menstrual pain for thousands of years, with no side effects.

This is good news for the reportedly 50% of women who have monthly menstrual pain. You don't have to wait several more years for the experimental drug to be released, you can get help now. By getting regular acupuncture treatments and taking herbs to help balance your body and your hormones, most women can be relieved of all levels of menstrual pain, from mild cramping to severe, disabling discomfort.

No woman should ever have to dread the suffering of her menstrual period every month.

To find out how Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and herbs can help, call 310-367-1564 and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. It is my mission to make sure every women who wishes it, has a pain free monthly period.

When I tell a woman that she does not have to have menstrual cramps she is often surprised. What most women don't know is, there is very easy, very simple solution. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine offer a highly effective, healing alternative. What I do in my clinic is not put a bandaid on the problem, but get to the root imbalance that the woman is suffering to effect a permanent solution.

If you are suffering from menstrual cramps, PMS, irregular periods and more, there is a solution that works to bring relief to your very next period. You simply don't have to live with painful periods any more!

For more information call 310-367-1564 for a complementary phone consultation.

Male infertility concerns are appearing more regularly in the news lately and for some couples this may come as a surprise. Often times the male partner is overlooked in favor of primarily treating the woman . This however, is changing and more doctors are looking at the man's fertility as frequently as the woman's.

It is thought that about 50% of all fertility cases are related to problems with the male partner. Fertility for the male depends on adequate sperm, unobstructed ability of the sperm to travel through the seminal tract, the ability of the sperm to travel through the woman's reproductive tract to reach the egg and its ability to fertilize the egg. When sperm quantity, quality and motility (ability to swim and move) are reduced it is difficult to fertilize an egg. Physical problems like varicoceles (enlarged veins in the scrotum) also impact fertility, possibly by elevating the temperature in the region thus affecting sperm quality and quantity.

Factors that may contribute to infertility:

• history of prostatitis or genital infection
• testicular trauma
• history of early puberty or delayed puberty
• exposure to toxic substances or hazards on the job, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, ethylene oxide, vinyl chloride, radioactivity, and x-rays
• cigarette or marijuana smoke
• heavy alcohol consumption
• exposure of the genitals to high temperatures
• hernia repair
• undescended testicles
• prescription drugs for ulcers or psoriasis
• DES taken by mother during pregnancy
• mumps after puberty

Solutions to male infertility range from surgery, IVF, ICSI, to natural solutions like supplements, acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Chinese Medicine, which incorporates acupuncture and herbal medicine, has shown to be very effective in treating low sperm count, problems with liquefaction, low motility, poor morphology and other problems related to the male reproductive tract.

If you are a couple that has been trying for some time to become parents please consider testing to see if male factor infertility is part of the problem. Having a semen analysis is a good first step. Consult your medical professional for options.

For more information on how acupuncture and herbal medicine can help go to www.bethanymuhl.com or call 310-367-1564 for a complementary phone consultation.

Eating a healthy diet is all important for a woman wishing to become pregnant. Preparing your body ahead of time by eating the right things helps insure that you are in the best health possible. It is much easier to conceive and to produce a healthy baby when you are at the peak of health yourself.

Food choices are as important for the months leading up to pregnancy as they are during pregnancy. If you are a gardener you understand the importance of preparing the soil in order to germinate and grow the healthiest and strongest plants. Farmers prepare their soils for planting well in advance of planting the seeds. It is the same for our bodies. By making sure we have the right nutrients and eliminate what might be harmful we create the best environment for fertilization to take place and for a fetus to thrive.

What are some of those good food choices?

• Eat fresh, unprocessed, organic foods whenever possible. Buy fresh from a farmers market if you can and cook it yourself. This is the best way to get the nutrients that your body needs and to eliminate chemicals and preservatives that are harmful to your body. Buying from a farmers market ensures that the food is as fresh as possible and that more vitamins and minerals are still intact. Organic and pesticide free fruits and vegetables also are shown to have more nutrients present than those grown in fields sprayed with pesticides.

• Eat hormone free meats. We absolutely don't want to add synthetically produced hormones to our bodies by eating them in our food. This can disrupt the naturally produced hormones we make within our own bodies.

• Add foods containing omega 3 essential fatty acids like wild salmon, sardines and other oily fresh cold water fish that are low in mercury content. Other sources are flaxseeds (ground daily), walnuts, brussel sprouts, cabbage, soybeans and many others. Omega fats are important in maintaining reproductive capability and in fact, a deficiency can lead to infertility. Fatty acids are important components of cell structures, are necessary for skin and hair grow and are important in visual and neurological development. It is most important to have the omega fats present in your body for the developing fetus.

We've talked about good things to eat, but there are also important thing to eliminate or reduce.

• Eliminate coffee and caffeinated drinks. Coffee and caffeine can constrict blood vessels in the body, which include those leading to the uterus. To maximize fertility we want to increase the blood flow to the uterus at this time. A small amount of green tea is acceptable (1 small cup) if you must have caffeine.

• Eliminate alcohol which elevates blood sugar levels and leads to damp heat in the body. Damp heat in Chinese Medicine is considered a pathogen and can interfere with conception. Of course alcohol is contraindicated during pregnancy as it can be toxic to the fetus.

• Eliminate or reduce sugar. Sugar includes: honey, maple syrup, agave, corn syrup and others. I know this is one of the hardest things for my patients to give up, often even more difficult to stop than caffeine. However, sugar, especially in excess leads to inflammation and this is one of the enemies of fertility. So if you can at least greatly reduce sugar it will be to your benefit. Artificial sweeteners are also not the answer, they are chemically produced and may be injurious to your health.

These are just a few dietary suggestions that can greatly enhance your ability to become pregnant. Try these suggestions and see if you don't feel more energized, feel happier, sleep better and know you are increasing your fertility potential.

If you would like further information on the fertility diet or fertility acupuncture visit my website: www.bethanymuhl.com or call (310)367-1564.