I know exactly what you are thinking “Where do I get some of those herbal medicines! And I’ll take two please!” (If you are actually trying to get pregnant that is!) While the media report of the latest study showing that “Chinese medicine could double the chances of childless couples conceiving” did point out that the assessment of the menstrual cycle is the key to a successful outcome, they forgot to mention another key point – that not every fertility patient will take the same herbs!
In the past when I have written about certain herbs such as indigo being used for the treatment of psoriasis, I have received feedback from people requesting me to send them the herb. Unfortunately Chinese herbal medicine works best when it is custom fit to the individual, not just the disease. This means that no two people with an infertility, skin, digestive, or other problem will have the exact same formula. Chinese medical practitioners do not believe in any magic bullet cure-all medicines, that will work for everyone with the same problem.
Chinese medicine works by first having a qualified practitioner exam you carefully in order to determine exactly what the problem is. From the diagnosis that they determine, they will then write up a proper prescription, which could basically include anywhere from 4 to 18 different herbal medicines, out of a list of hundreds. The amount of variation in any persons herbal formula is truly endless, and is why people need to use herbal medicines properly, by qualified individuals.
This is obviously much harder than just simply giving an ovulation inducing drug like chlomid to every single woman struggling to conceive. Chinese medicine is much more refined and sophisticated than that. Again herbs are given for the individual, not the disorder.
I have obviously seen many successful outcomes from herbal medicines for many different types of fertility and/or skin problems. If one were to look over the medicines that I used, you would see that every single patient I was able to help had a very different prescription. While this may sound complex and difficult to do, and hence why years of training goes into the study of basic Chinese medicine as well as the refinement of knowledge through specialty training, the practice of Chinese medicine is actually quite fun, being considered more like an art.
So yes this study showing a doubling of pregnancy rates for woman using Chinese herbal medicine is fantastic, as it most certainly shows that herbal medicine is indeed an amazingly powerful and valid option for ones health journey. Just remember that the real success truly lies in the ability of the practitioner prescribing the medicine, how they are able to navigate what herbal mix best suits you individually, for whatever your health concern is. This is why it is so important to seek out a well qualified practitioner, specializing in the area needed for you.
Wishing you health,
Dr.Trevor Erikson
Copyright © 2019 Dr. Trevor Erikson