While there is no question that age is related to reproductive capability, I often see infertility patients who feel pressured into the western assisted reproductive technologies (“ART”) in the fear that the proverbial “clock is ticking.”

One of the beauties of Chinese medicine is that it is able through its diagnostics (particularly, pulse diagnosis) to distinguish between chronological age and biological age. Often, infertility patients may present with a biological age greater than their chronological age. Kidney and adrenal insufficiencies, poor circulation and nourishment to the reproductive organs and a whole host of other issues can account for this.

An important point to bear in mind is that by strengthening the Kidneys and reproductive organs, and by addressing the imbalances related to this inconsistency between the biological and chronological age, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can go a long way to reversing this phenomenon. We seek to have a younger biological age, or in the very least, for it to be consistent. Understanding this, through treatments, we can rewind the “clock” and the urgency of ART can be lessened, if not eliminated.