Although in the modern West acupuncture has become well-known for assisting patients experiencing infertility to become pregnant, such problems would typically entail a referral to a Chinese herbalist in China. Thankfully, research is now beginning to catch up on what practitioners of Chinese medicine have known for hundreds of years – that Chinese herbal medicine, when skilfully prescribed, can effectively treat female infertility. A meta-analysis of 40 randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine concluded that Chinese herbal medicine is nearly twice as effective as conventional (i.e. Western) medicine in the treatment of female infertility (60% successful pregnancy rates compared to 33%). The trials included women with PCOS, endometriosis, anovulation, fallopian tube blockage, or unexplained infertility. Not only were pregnancy rates improved, but fertility indicators such as ovulation rates, cervical mucus score, biphasic basal body temperature, and appropriate thickness of the endometrial lining were positively influenced by CHM. The full text of the article is available here: http://www.complementarytherapiesinmedicine.com/article/S0965-2299(14)00191-5/fulltext
