Chinese Fertility Herbs vs Western Fertility Herbs
By Patricia Karnowski
Many women with
fertility problems are seeking natural approaches to treatment. Chinese fertility herbs may be one of the most effective natural options but women need to understand that Chinese herbs and western herbs are not used the same way.
Who Uses Herbs for Infertility?
Treating reproductive problems with herbs is a very attractive idea for many women. They seem less sterile and more in tune with nature and in alignment with the miracle of bringing a new life into the world. They work slowly and gently and like most gifts from nature they are much less costly than products manufactured by man. For the millions of American women who do not have health insurance, herbs offer hope when expensive high tech procedures and drugs are completely out of reach.
Fertility herbs are also sought after by women who have tried all the treatments modern medicine has to offer to no avail. For these women, there seems to be something missing that even the best infertility doctors cannot identify. Sometimes, these women prefer to try a completely different approach; one that has no scientific studies other than the stories passed on from one woman to the next year after year and century after century.
A special group of
women seeking the help of fertility herbs are women in their late 30's and early 40's who have been told by their doctors that blood tests indicate they are too old to conceive naturally without the use of a donor egg from a much younger women. Some of these women say they feel in their hearts that they can still conceive and so they seek out herbs that have been used by women for eons to assist them in this journey.
American Fertility Herbs - One Size Fits All
There really aren't many western herbs that are believed to effect fertility. The literature mentions black cohash, false unicorn horn, nettle leaves, primrose oil, red clover, red raspberry leaves, caste tree berry and wild yam. The herbal fertility blends that can be purchased at a health food store or vitamin store contain some or all of these herbs.
All types of fertility problems are treated with these same few herbs. Every woman is treated the same. There are no known criteria or standards to determine how much or how little of these herbs are effective or for how long a woman should take them to get the desired effect.
Chinese Fertility Herbs - Each a Unique Blend
Chinese herbs unlike western herbs are always combined into complex and precise formulas. Each woman's formula is elegantly designed by a highly trained herbalist to treat a separate set of signs and symptoms in that particular woman. A Chinese herbalist is trained to recognize the subtle signs of imbalances which indicate or lead to fertility problems. The Chinese herbalist will choose from literally thousands of medicinal herbs to create the specific formula to address the imbalance and correct the problem.
Each formula is uniquely designed and made up of around 8 to 13 herbs. The amount of each ingredient is precisely measured to the half gram and recorded so that the formula can be modified and changed as needed. There are records of formulas written thousands of years ago which are still used today to treat the modern woman.
Effectiveness of Chinese Fertility Herbs
At least 3000 years of continuous use by millions of women is a good test of the effectiveness of Chinese herbs. If they did not work or if they had a negative effect, logic tells us that Chinese herbalists would have stopped prescribing these herbs at least 1000 years ago.
We cannot say that western drugs have pasted the same test. Many drugs seem to become obsolete after a few years. While others are taken off the market completely when it revealed that they are actually harming people e.g. 'hormone replacement therapies'. We will all be grateful when some pharmaceuticals are finally replaced by something gentler and more humane, e.g. chemotherapy.
How Herbs are Like Fertilizer
Pharmaceutical can work very quickly. If you have a headache you can take a pill and 20 minutes later your headache is gone.
That is not how it works with Chinese herbs. Chinese herbs work in the same way as adding fertilizer to your rose bushes works. You add the fertilizer and tomorrow there is no effect on the plant but as it grows and develops the rose bush will become stronger and more beautiful. We give it what it needs and it flourishes.
Progress is achieved in small steps not huge leaps. Generally speaking, a woman should consider taking a Chinese herbal formula for 3 to 6 months before seeing the full effectiveness of Chinese herbs. This would be considered two courses of herbs with each course being 3 months or about the same amount of time it takes for an egg to develop and grow before it is ready for ovulation.
Chinese Herbal Formulas are Modified
Slowly the body changes and at the same time the formula which was designed to balance a particular condition must be modified as the condition changes. If a woman continued to take the same formula month after month her body would shift and change until it passed the point of equilibrium and balance and she would exhibit signs of a different type of imbalance. She would be no closer to health and may show signs which would be consider negative side-effects.
The Root vs. the Branch
Chinese herbalist will discuss treating the root-of-the-problem and treating the branch. The root is considered the underlying cause of the problem. They would want to address the reason a woman's body creates a fibroid or an ovarian cyst rather than just getting rid of the cyst for example by removing it surgically.
The ovarian cyst, for example, would be considered the branch or the off-shoot of the problem. Perhaps the root or cause of the problem was the woman's slow metabolism which caused the blood to stagnate resulting in the formation of cysts.
In reality Chinese herbalists often treat the branch and the root at the same time for the best and lasting results.
Common Fertility Problems Addressed with Chinese Herbs
Common Fertility Problems addressed with the help of Chinese fertility herbal blends are irregular periods, minimally blocked fallopian tubes, polycystic ovaries and fibroids, advanced maternal age and elevated FSH to name a few. Chinese herbs are also being utilized to maintain and prolong the reproductive health of women who would like to conceive into their 40's.
Women around the world can confidently choose Chinese herbs to address their fertility needs when they have an understanding of the differences between the Western approach and the Traditional Chinese approach to the use of fertility herbs.
Patricia Karnowski is a Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist with a master’s degree in Oriental Medicine from Pacific Collage of Oriental Medicine in New York City. She is the founder of Fertility Formulas which is an herbal practice specializing in the treatment of infertility in both men and women.
http://www.fertilityformulas.com provides information on the use of Chinese herbs for infertility. Women from across the USA and Canada gain access to a highly qualified herbalist through this site. Patricia Karnowski creates individual custom made Chinese herbal formulas which correct imbalances to improve fertility naturally. Men and Women with fertility problems receive individual and personal attention no matter where they live or what their schedule or lifestyle.
Ms. Karnowski worked for 12 years as a Jungian based psychotherapist in Manhattan before seeking a degree in Oriental Medicine. Her practice was filled with primarily women from all around the world.
Labels: fertility, Fertility Herbs, fertility pill, fertility pills, foods to increase fertility in women, get pregnant, get pregnant fast, increase fertility in men
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