Infertility seems to be a problem in Hong Kong, with one in six couples unable to conceive naturally, according to the Hong Kong Society of Reproductive Medicine. Many turn to Western, Chinese, or a combination of both medical schools to find a solution, and recent studies indicate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may have one.
A study at Tel Aviv University in Israel, published in last month's Journal of Integrative Medicine, found that a combination of TCM therapy - herbs (Paeonia alba and Chuan xiong) and acupuncture - and intrauterine insemination (IUI) resulted in conception by 65.5 per cent of the test group, compared with 39.4 per cent of the control group, which had only IUI treatment.
The test group had 29 women aged between 30 and 45, and the control group had 94 women aged between 28 and 46.
Dr Shahar Lev-Ari and Keren Sela of the university's faculty of medicine say TCM aims to correct imbalances in the body's natural energy flow, promoting well-being. They say there are several theories as to why Chinese medicine can be beneficial to fertility rates, including the possibility that herbal remedies and acupuncture can affect the ovulation and menstrual cycle, enhance blood flow to the uterus, and enhance endorphin production and secretion to inhibit the central nervous system and induce calm - all of which can contribute to successful conception.
The link between TCM therapy and the menstrual cycle is further supported by a University of Adelaide study funded by the Australian government. With findings published in November by the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, the researchers reviewed eight clinical trials, 13 other studies and case reports - a total of 1,851 infertile women - that compared the efficacy of TCM with Western drugs or in vitro fertilisation treatment.
The overall analysis suggested that Chinese herbs were more effective: an average of 60 per cent pregnancy rate over four months compared with 30 per cent achieved with standard Western drug treatment. The difference, say the researchers, appeared to be due to TCM practitioners' careful analysis of the period when it's possible for a woman to conceive.