Infertility, Acupuncture
And Herbal Medicine

She was overjoyed. And she was shocked. Donna had been trying to conceive for years. She and her husband had been through the cycles of emotional turmoil that often accompany a long-term effort to conceive -- starting with optimism, then frustration, anxiety and ultimately the slide into depression. Finally, they gave up hope that they would become pregnant. They decided to adopt a child. That's when what the "miracle" occurred. "I conceived!"
Donna says.

It's a story that has been repeated many times. A couple relaxes after the overwhelming cascade of emotions they've experienced while trying to create a child. And, finally, their dreams of conception come true. Stress has been shown in many instances to decrease your chances of conception, whether you are a woman or a man. That's why it is so important that you incorporate a stress reduction program into your day-to-day life when you are trying to have a child. The success rates for fertility procedures such as I.V.F. and G.I.F.T. increase when you use stress reduction techniques. And that's why acupuncture, an ancient procedure that helps to reduce stress, and Chinese herbal medicine, can help you. At The Berkley Center For Reproductive Wellness & Women's Health we are devoted to helping you achieve your goal of conceiving a child. 

Who are the patients in our fertility program? Ninety percent of our patients are women, and 90 percent of those women are 39 or over. Many (but not all of our patients) have had some kind of A.R.T. "For most of our patients, we are the last stop before they consider adoption or donor egg implantation," says Dr. Mike Berkley, The Director of the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness and Complementary Medicine. Fifty percent of infertility problems are male-based, although men account for 10 percent of our infertility patients. In some cases, our male patients have low sperm counts, while others have morphology problems (their sperm is misshapen) or sperm motility problems (their sperm moves sluggishly).

Listen to Mary Jane's story

"I just delivered a cute and healthy baby boy last Oct. 28, 2004. I thank God for giving me Dr. Berkley..."

Why Alternative Medicine Works

Alternative medicine focuses on a holistic approach to medical treatment, treating all the causes of a problem rather than just the symptoms that accompany a problem.
A practitioner of alternative medicine sees a person as an integrated mind and body organism and will work patiently to heal the root cause a medical disorder.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine help minimize undesired side effects.
It also helps to minimize the accumulated toxicity from invasive procedures and drug treatments.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine strengthens and balances your general health, helping to make A.R.T. procedures more effective. It can also help conceive a woman without A.R.T. procedures. "We work at getting the internal environment of a woman as healthy as it can be at a particular stage of the woman's life," Dr. Berkley says. "If you lower F.S.H., enhance the thickening of the uterine lining, regulate a woman's period and eliminate pre-menstrual symptoms, the manifestations of those treatments can aid a woman in conceiving." Dr. Berkley adds: "Sometimes it's not enough, so a woman needs A.R.T. If she sees me, she's much more likely to conceive with A.R.T. than before she saw me." Also, postpartum recuperation occurs more quickly. If you are an over-40 couple attempting to have a child, the overall health enhancement you will receive from alternative medical treatment will enhance your reproductive health.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine has been an enduring and widespread system of healing across the globe. Acupuncture and herbal treatment, are an effective modality of intervention to aid in the facilitation of conception. Additionally these treatments can be effectively combined with modern Western techniques. Practiced for more than 3,000 years, acupuncture and herbal therapy are the major form of health care for one quarter of the world's population. In the Western world, acupuncture therapy has been used in England, Germany and France for hundreds of years. Acupuncture has a shorter history in the United States - it has been widely practiced here for about 20 years. The benefits of alternative medical procedures have been reported in medical literature from as early as 11 AD. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine help to regulate the menstrual cycle, invigorate the sperm. And they create a general well-being that aids conception.

Treatment Programs for Infertility... Approximately 35% of our infertile patients conceive after a regimen of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Each patient undergoes a thorough evaluation by the doctor, who charts his or her physical, emotional, medical, dietary, exercise and lifestyle history. Then the practitioner creates a treatment plan tailored for the individual. The acupuncture treatments are given once a week for three to four months. Herbal medicine is taken three times a day for seven days a week during that time.

A woman may need a longer period of treatment if she:

· Is getting close to 40.
· Has taken fertility drugs.
· Has undergone A.R.T. procedures.
· Has polycystic ovaries.
· Experiences PMS.
· Has an elevated FSH.
· Has endrometriosis.
· Produces antibodies to sperm.
· Has a history of drug, alcohol or sexual abuse.

A man may require a longer period of treatment if he:

· Has a history of sexually transmitted diseases.
· Has had urinary tract infections.
· Has difficulty urinating or a burning urination.
· Has a history of drug, alcohol, smoking or sexual abuse.
· Has chronic lower back pain.
· Has had prostatitis or other urological health issues.

The extent of the rejuvenation process - and the treatment period for the recovery --will depend upon the individual.

When combining alternative medical techniques such as acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine with traditional Western medicine, it is extremely important that all members of the treatment team communicate well with each other. Communication between the patient, the alternative medical practitioner and the reproductive clinician is a delicate process. For example, a physician needs to know if a patient is using herbal medicine. Herbal medicine can affect the results of an A.R.T. procedure, and some coordination of schedules needs to be done between the herbal practitioner and the infertility physician. In a similar vein, it is critical that the patient tells the acupuncturist about any herbs or vitamins that he or she is taking while undergoing treatment. We strongly recommend against taking any over-the-counter herbal remedies.

Dr. Mike Berkley, The Director of The Berkley Center For Reproductive Wellness & Women's Health is a specialist in infertility and women's health issues. Using acupuncture, Chinese herbs, electromedicine, tissue and muscle manipulation and nutritional and lifestyle counseling, Dr. Berkley has helped to turn many of his patients' lives around.

Dr. Berkley is New York State Licensed and Board Certified in Acupuncture. He also is Board Certified in Clinical Herbal Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is also licensed as a Doctor of Acupuncture in the state of Rhode Island.

In addition to being an expert practitioner of acupuncture and herbal medicine, Dr. Berkley has tremendous compassion and empathy for all his patients. His goal is to help each and every patient regain their health and vitality by using natural medicine, which is extremely effective and powerful but offers no negative side effects.

Click here to read a recent article by Dr. Berkley published in Resolve Newsletter