Frequently Asked Questions about Acupuncture
& Herbal Medicine

I've heard that your practice is dedicated to treating infertility. Why do you specialize in treating infertility?
When I started my practice, like most practitioners of acupuncture, I had a general practice. I had one patient who was suffering from infertility. She had been trying to conceive for three years, with an FSH of 40. She was forty-two. After treating her for three months she burst through my door crying! I didn't know what to think. I was startled and confused until she started laughing and informed me that she was pregnant! I have a photograph of her little boy on my office wall.
That moment changed her life and mine. It was then that I decided to devote myself to helping couples to have the most important thing in their lives; kids!

What types of infertility can acupuncture and herbal medicine treat?
We have used our proprietary acupuncture and herbal medicine protocols to successfully treat infertility due to hormonal imbalances such as elevated FSH as well as luteal phase defect, PCOS, endometriosis, thin lining, low ovarian reserve and poor egg quality. We have also seen excellent results when treating those with clotting disorders and immunological pathologies including but not limited to activated NK cells and antiphospholipid antibodies, Factor V Leiden, dual gene variant MTHFR with hypehomocysteinemia. We continue to yield impressive improvements when treating poor motility, poor morphology and low sperm count and sperm DNA fragmentation.

There was a study done at Harvard which showed that stress may reduce the function of the hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-ovarian axis, thus contributing to infertility. This pathomechansim can be explained thus: Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to cause vaso and arterial constriction which results in degradation of blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. Arterial constriction is seen at the uterine artery and ovarian arteries. If fact, when a transvaginal Doppler exam is performed and the uterine artery impedance is greater than 3, pregnancy will not be achieved. Beta-endorphins released via acupuncture intervention interrupts the negative activity of the sympathetic nervous system causing dilation of the arteries facilitating increased blood flow to the lining and ovaries. Thus, the lining thickens and there is often improved egg quality. This is sometimes all it takes to achieve a viable pregnancy.

Who is your typical patient?
We have female and male patients. Typically, they are between the ages of thirty-two to forty-two. Many want to try acupuncture and herbal medicine before considering the utilization of Assisted Reproductive Technological intervention; many want to use acupuncture and herbal medicine in conjunction with their A.R.T. process. As the reputation of our success grows so to has our practice.

Should my husband be treated?
If your hubby has low sperm count, poor morphology, poor motility and/or sperm DNA fragmentation he is a good candidate for treatment.

How does acupuncture help treat infertility?
Acupuncture and herbal medicine work in two entirely different ways. Acupuncture invigorates or enhances the circulation of blood and energy throughout the body. This is extremely important for those individuals who are having difficulty conceiving.

Some manifestations of obstructed flow of blood are endometriosis, blocked tubes, fibroids, clotting in the menstruate, premenstrual lower abdominal aching or sharp pain, sharp and stabbing pain over the ovaries during ovulation, menstruation or ovulation related headaches, breast aching, extreme emotional lability and cold hands and feet. While the above signs and symptoms in and of themselves will not necessarily render one infertile, they do reveal internal blockages of energy and blood which may contribute to infertility.

I understand that you use herbal medicine with many of your patients. What do the herbs do? And, are they safe?
Acupuncture moves things but cannot "give" anything to your body. If you systemic deficiencies contributing to infertility, acupuncture in and of itself may not be enough. Herbal medicine can have a direct impact on your metabolic system, your endocrine system and other systems which may be hypofunctioning and contributing to infertility. Herbal medicine can nourish your internal reproductive landscape and give your body something it lacks; acupuncture can invigorate that which is stagnant and move that which is blocked.

As far as the safety factor of herbal medicine, there are more than one million hospitalizations per year in America as a result of adverse reactions to prescribed medications. When is the last time that you read about someone being hospitalized for taking herbal medicine? If a Board Certified herbalist prescribes an herbal formula for a patient, it will, generally speaking, be safe. What you must not do is self medicate with herbal medicine or take herbal medicine prescribed by someone who is not Board Certified; in this case, they may be harmful!

How important is diet?
Proper nutrition is very important from the perspective of general health and reproductive health. We strongly urge our patients to schedule an appointment with Kathie Alli, our Director of Nutrition Services for a full evaluation and food plan. Kathie also offers telephone consultations to those living outside of New York State. Call the office at 212.685.0985 to schedule your tele-consult or in-person consultation. You will be amazed how proper nutrition can positively impact your life!

My doctor says that if my FSH levels are elevated even once, this indicates that I have poor egg quality. What is your opinion on this?
At the Berkley Center For Reproductive Wellness & Women's Health & Women's Health we continue to see increased folliculogenesis and improved egg quality as a result of our proprietary protocols. As a result of these improvements, FSH and Estradiol levels frequently normalize. Patients then either conceive naturally or they are accepted into an IVF clinic to start a cycle.

My acupuncturist gave me a bottle of herbal medicine. They were pills. Are these herbs the right ones for me?
Probably not. Herbal medicine is an art and a science which has been and continues to be developed. The use of herbal medicine spans over a period of more than three-thousand years. After all this time, it has been determined that the best way to prescribe herbal medicine is via development of a custom made formula which is designed exclusively for the particular patient being treated. The bottled stuff is known as a "Patent Formula". It is given to multiple patients regardless of the differences in their presenting pathologies.

When treating complex presentations such as infertility, custom formulae are the only way to go. If a person is taking Patent Medicine, they are definitely not taking advantage of the power and flexibility which herbal medicine has to offer.

If what you say is true, why did my practitioner give me this Patent stuff?
Your practitioner is probably not board certified in herbal medicine. If he or she is, then they limited experience in proper diagnosis and formula design. Prescribing custom developed herbal formula (the traditional way!) is an art which takes years of arduous study and practice to master. Remember, just because one is licensed as an acupuncturist does not automatically mean that one possesses knowledge of herbal medicine. Typically, in China, practitioners of herbal medicine are not acupuncturists and acupuncturists are not herbalists. It takes years to master each discipline, so doing both is that much more difficult.

I've heard that Vitex and Chasteberry are helpful for women trying to conceive. What is your opinion on using these herbs?
Experienced practitioners of Chinese medicine know that giving a patient a single herb is, generally speaking, a complete waste of time. The experienced practitioner will prescribe a formula based very specifically on the individual's presenting signs and symptoms.

We take into consideration even the smallest details about an individual when diagnosing and prescribing. It is only through such a meticulous and extensive intake that a proper and effective formula may be derived.

Dr. Berkley, what are your qualifications? And what are the qualifications of the other doctors at The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness & Women's Health? How much experience do you and your staff have in treating the infertile patient?
Dr. Berkley has been in practice as a New York State Licensed and Board Certified Acupuncturist and as a Board Certified Herbalist since 1996. He is also licensed to practice acupuncture in Connecticut and is licensed as a Doctor of Acupuncture in the State of Rhode Island. He was the very first Doctor of Acupunture and herbal medicine to devote his life to understanding and treating Reproductive disorders. After years of treating patients with a wide array of fertility disorders, Dr. Berkley has been able to design proprietary acupuncture protocols and herbal formulae which consistently show promising results.

Dr. Berkley is a member of Resolve and the American Infertility Association and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. He is an Advisory Board Member of The InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination, Inc. He is also on the Advisory Board of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

He lectures frequently on infertility and continues to educate people on the benefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine in the area of infertility. In addition to writing articles on Infertility and Alternative Medicine he has appeared on national television shows such as NY1 News, NBC News and The Regis Philbin Show to spread the word!

He is a graduate of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City.

Dr. Camburn is New York State licensed and Board Certified in acupuncture and clinical herbal medicine. He is a Doctor of Acupuncture, licensed as such in the state of Rhode Island. He has been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine since 1997.

He completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he earned his Masters of Science degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City.

After graduating, Dr. Camburn traveled to China and Tibet to continue his studies. In Tibet, he studied internal medicine in Lhasa. He then traveled to Chengdu, China, to study at China's premier herbal University.

Dr. Camburn has been a full time faculty member at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine since 1999. In addition to teaching acupuncture and herbal medicine, he supervised students during their clinical rounds at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's health care clinic.

Dr. Camburn headed up Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's clinical internship program at Yonkers General Hospital, in Yonkers, New York. He was the Director of acupuncture at the Fortune Society, and Greenwich House, both located in New York City.

He is currently writing three books on Chinese medicine. He has written numerous articles, and continues to lecture frequently on the subject of infertility and traditional Chinese medicine.

Irina Logman, New York State licensed acupuncturist and Nationally Board Certified herbalist, is a graduate of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City. She is a Doctor of Acupuncture, licensed as such in the state of Rhode Island.

Dr. Logman has a B.S. in Health Sciences from Hunter College. Upon graduation, she was given the prestigious 'Certificate of Excellence' award by Hunter College.

How much do treatments cost?
Please visit www.berkleycenter.com and click on 'Our Services' for a full explanation of fees.

How long will I have to be treated for?
We work with our patients for the entire time that they are trying to conceive. We recommend treatment once weekly for those up to thirty-four-years-old and twice weekly for those thirty-five-years-old and older. Once pregnant, we will treat you for the first trimester (90% of failed pregnancies occur within the first trimester) to help keep you pregnant.

If you are a candidate for herbal medicine, you will be prescribed a customized formula which is taken twice daily for three to five months.

Remember, if you are in an IUI or IVF or donor-egg cycle, schedule appointments for acupuncture for pre and post your procedure. This increases your chances of success significantly (See study: FERTILITY AND STERILITY® VOL. 77, NO. 4, APRIL 20)

I recently learned that a German study was done which showed definitively that having acupuncture treatments pre and post egg transfer greatly enhances the chances of a successful IVF procedure. I would like to come in for acupuncture pre and post transfer but my transfer will be on a Saturday! Do you work weekends?

We are committed to our patients. If your transfer occurs on a Saturday or a Sunday, we will be here for you.

How long does it take to get an appointment?
Usually about two to three weeks.

How do I make an appointment?
If you live outside of New York State, we do provide telephone consultations which allow us to prescribe an individualized herbal medicine prescription for you, the purpose of which is to increase your fertility quotient. As part of the telephone consultation we will help you find an acupuncturist and we will work closely with this individual guiding the treatment and monitoring your progress. Call Anna Gudis, our Scheduling Coordinator at 866-411-4416 to schedule your tele-consult.

If you live or work nearby, call and schedule your appointment for your in-person consultation. Our Scheduling Coordinator, Anna Gudis will assist you in your scheduling needs. You may call her directly at 866-411-4416.

We will help you on your journey, offering guidance and support, proprietary acupuncture and herbal medicine protocols with a long history of positive pregnancies, and, a network of qualified specialists including Reproductive Endocrinologists should you require their services.

We will soon be providing yoga, massage, one-on-one fitness programs and guided meditation, all geared to relaxing you, nurturing you, comforting you, supporting you and helping you to achieve your dream of having your baby!