Traditional Chinese Medicine, Infertility, And Sexuality Dysfunction

The second concept to understand is Qi or vital energy. This is an elusive concept for Westerners. It is about the overall energy that we get from digesting and processing foods and the air we breathe. Not only do we need to eat well but we must be able to break the food down. Chinese Medicine talks about this as having good Spleen/Stomach Qi as part of the earth element. However, the energy of the Chinese “Spleen” is not only about digestion but related to an emotional state.

The emotion of out-of-balanced spleen energy is over worrying and overthinking which can activate the sympathetic nervous system. In Western society, many people suffer from digestion problems; irritable bowel, constipation, colitis, SIBO, and diarrhea to name a few. These issues can wreak havoc on the body and lead to low energy. How does this affect fertility and sexuality? Inflammation is not good for fertility and bad digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating are not conducive to lovemaking. If women and men do not feel good in their bodies, they might not desire to have sex.

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According to a cross-sectional design study of 151 Dutch heterosexual couples that completed an online survey measuring body image, sexual satisfaction, and perceived relationship quality, “within individuals, a more positive body image was linked to higher perceived romantic relationship quality through greater sexual satisfaction. No gender differences were found”.

How does Chinese Medicine help a patient feel good in their body and have more vital energy? We start at the center. We make sure that digestion is strong. According to Li Dong-Yuan’s Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach: A Translation of the Pi Wei Lun it is said that the spleen and stomach give rise to original Qi. He also underscores the importance of diet and emotional factors as causes of disease.

Having a healthy sex drive while trying to conceive demands healthy vital energy. Individuals that are tired and have inflammatory chronic health conditions might not have a strong libido.

Jenny, a patient of mine, complained she was always exhausted and did not have a sex drive. Her diet consisted of sandwiches and snack foods like potato chips and candy. She drank a lot of coffee during the day. She also complained of bloating and gas. When I examined her tongue and pulse, I noticed her tongue was flabby with a thick white coat indicating that she had spleen Qi deficiency with dampness. We needed to work on her diet and lifestyle. I palpated her abdomen which felt like play-doh—an indication of Qi deficiency. When we press on the belly of patients, we want to feel good muscle tone. I gave her herbs to help digestion and recommended she eat warming foods like cooked vegetables, salmon, and rice. Cold foods in Chinese Medicine are bad for digestion and for fertility. In 3 months of working with me, Jenny had more Qi and an improved sex drive and in three more months, she conceived.

Western medicine treatments like hormone injections can make a woman feel bloated, fat, and unattractive. When we approach patients, we evaluate the quality of their Qi. Do they have enough to nourish a fetus? Do they have enough Qi to make a baby?

Do you know women and men that are always tired? Maybe they do not nourish themselves well. TCM believes that if you have little energy you will have a hard time making blood and blood is important for women because it is what nourishes a fetus (more on that later).

If you have any questions, you can send me an Email: wallence.suen@wecistanche.com