Since the birth of the first test-tube baby in 1978, assistive reproductive technique (ART) has become more widely used and blessed countless infertility patients. Due to controlled ovulation induction, in-vitro fertilization and embryo culture procedures are still far from standard requirements, and how to improve the success rate of artificial assisted pregnancy technology is a common concern for patients and professionals. By combining the advantages of Chinese and Western medicine, comprehensive application of Chinese medicine and ART has become much more developed in the medical field.

Dr. Tan has a doctorate in medicine from the National Asahikawa Medical University in Japan, and she has also studied under the famous infertility master Xia Guicheng. Dr. Tang not only inherited the infertility scholarly work of Xia Guicheng, but also studied ART and has years of rich clinical practice experience from her practice. Dr. Tan’s lecture will provide guidance and enlightenment for the clinical practice of Chinese medicine and ART to improve the success rate of pregnancy.

In this session, the TCM treatment methods of infertility, including herbal formula and acupuncture, will be introduced in detail. TCM treatment principles pay attention to the status and functions of relevant organs in TCM theories (incl. kidney, liver, spleen, Chong Ren, and uterus and ovaries, Du meridian), and to the differentiation of change and balance of Qi and Blood, warm and cold, Xu and Shi in one’s body, all while treating male and female simultaneously. Take Kidney deficiency as an example - it can be seen in almost all cases, and it can be categorized at Kidney Yin and Yang deficiency, respectively. Therefore, nourishing Kidney deficiency is the key in the treatment of infertility, and specialized herbs need to be adopted according to Dr Wang’s experience.

In this session, Dr Wang will be addressing the basic concept of Infertility in both its Western and Chinese Medicine contexts, as well as the recognition of the disease and change of its name in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Infertility, called BUYUN, or BIJING (among other names), has been described in ancient TCM books since Chunqiu, about 2,500 years ago. Understandings of etiology and the pathogenesis of infertility in TCM were gradually developed and described mainly in the following aspects: Kidney deficiency, Qi and Blood deficiency, Liver Qi stagnation, Blood stagnation in uterus and ovaries, Spleen deficiency and phlegm stagnation, emotional and mental disorders, congenital defects, etc. The TCM treatment principles and methods of infertility were then developed based on the above-mentioned understandings.