The journey to parenthood may not always be smooth sailing for couples facing fertility issues. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can complement IVF and IUI treatments or serve as an alternative approach to improve your chances of conceiving.
Confinement can be a particularly stressful period as you have to take care of the baby while your body is recovering from the toils of the delivery process. Find out how TCM can help nourish and restore your body’s balance during this crucial period.
Thomson Chinese Medicine is a TCM clinic in Singapore that offers gentle, holistic paediatric massage therapy for children between 6 months and 12 years old. Our treatments, combined with herbal packs for external use, aim to improve your children’s he …
From the TCM perspective, pain arises due to congestion of Qi and Blood or deficiencies in the body. TCM treatments help to ease the blockage of Qi and Blood, triggering your body’s self-healing ability. Say no to painkillers and find out how TCM pain management treatments can benefit you.
Stroke causes oxygen-deprivation in parts of the brain, resulting in damage to brain cells and affecting abilities controlled by those areas of the brain. TCM treatments help to improve blood circulation and boost oxygen supply to the brain and also helps to dissipate blood clots for faster recovery.
Skin-related issues can be a real nuisance and may affect your confidence in social settings. Skin being the body’s largest and most visible organ, is closely related to the Lung and problems usually arise from various internal imbalances. These imbalances are often due to toxin build up, Lung heat, Stomach heat, heat in the Blood, Blood or Yin deficiency.
If you always feel weak and unwell, but medical reports indicate that you do not have any serious ailments, you may be in a state known as “Sub-health”. TCM treatments are effective in restoring your health to optimal levels by treating the symptoms and fortifying your body on a holistic level.
Need TCM treatment but unable to make it to the clinic? Be it for yourself, an elderly or your unwell child, our physicians can now treat you in the comfort and convenience of your preferred location island-wide.
ArticlesTCM for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: How Will it Help?
Fertility
TCM for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: How Will it Help?
Do you think you have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? Know the symptoms along with the natural and time-tested treatments of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics in Singapore here.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is said to be one of the common endocrine disorders that is widely undiagnosed due to the patient’s unawareness of the condition. “Poly” means many, “Cyst” refers to fluid filled sacs in the ovaries and “Syndrome” means that this condition is made up of an orchestra of many symptoms.
Often, women find out about PCOS when they visit the gynaecologist due to irregular period or when they have failed to get pregnant after trying for more than a year. Once you suspect or have been diagnosed with PCOS, it is important to talk to your gynaecologist or our physicians at (TCM) clinics in Singapore to discuss your treatment options.
What is PCOS?
PCOS, also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is a health problem caused by the hormonal imbalance of a woman’s reproductive hormones. PCOS does not choose any race and nationality that it affects one in ten women who are in the age to get pregnant. While genetics is a suspected cause of it, there is still an ongoing debate whether insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes are all correlated with PCOS.
Women with PCOS often have polycystic ovaries which means that the ovaries have many small painless cysts. When an ultrasound is done, these cysts resemble a string of pearls.
However, seeing this string of pearls is not definitive of PCOS. To be diagnosed with PCOS, you need to fulfil two out of three 2003 Rotterdam diagnosis:
Irregular or absent menstrual cycles
Menstrual cycles are longer than 35 days and/or
Progesterone level in the late luteal phase is low
Blood test showing high levels of androgens
Total or free testosterone level is elevated
Ultrasound showing polycystic ovaries
12 or more follicles 2-9 mm in diameter and/or
Increased ovarian volume >10 ml
What are the symptoms?
PCOS presents itself in many different ways, mostly in women in their 20s and 30s. You may not present every symptom to be diagnosed. Symptoms of PCOS include:
Hirsutism – Excessive body hair in a male-like pattern (upper lips and chin)
Hair loss
Tests to diagnose PCOS such as blood tests and ultrasounds are usually done at your gynaecology clinic. Upon understanding your condition and Western treatment options, you may choose to visit our TCM clinics to seek acupuncture and/or herbal medication tailored for your PCOS.
How will TCM help?
In TCM, PCOS is often caused by Kidney deficiency, excess phlegm and blood stagnation. Depending on your symptoms, tongue and pulse diagnosis, our physicians at (TCM) clinics in Singapore can identify the main cause.
The treatment goal is to focus on facilitating the release of eggs and addressing all the other complex metabolic issues. For those who are trying to get pregnant, TCM will help to improve the ovarian activity, uterus blood flow and support ovulation for fertilisation. This is done by:
Tonifying the Kidney organ that is in charge of reproductive system
Strengthening the Spleen to remove excess dampness in the body
Moving Blood and Qi to ensure optimal nutrients and oxygen is being transported to the egg
For overweight type PCOS, they tend to store more dampness which is what we know as “fat”. By boosting the Spleen Yang Qi and complying with a healthy diet and lifestyle, TCM can assist to optimise metabolism and steady weight loss.
For thin type PCOS, they tend to be more Blood or Yin deficient hence the treatment will be geared towards nourishing the Blood and Yin. If stress is the contributing factor for irregular menses, acupuncture points and herbs that invigorate the smooth flow of Liver Qi will be added.
Herbal remedies
Common herbal formulas that are prescribed in TCM clinics are 加味逍遥散Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, 桂枝茯苓丸Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan and 当归芍药散Dang Gui Shao Yao San. Jia Wei Xiao Yao San is a prescription commonly given to relieve symptoms of stress induced menstrual problems and is also found effective for breast cancer treatments. While the roles of the latter formulas are to remove blood stasis during menstruations and treat ovulatory disorders, respectively.
Single herbs prescriptions that are commonly given by TCM physicians in Singapore are 香附Xiang Fu, 延胡索Yan Hu Suo and 益母草Yi Mu Cao. Xiang Fu is used for menstrual disorders due to Liver Qi stagnation with painful or irregular periods. Amenorrhea or scanty period can be regulated with Yan Hu Suo and Yi Mu Cao.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been gaining acceptance among therapists and gynaecologists as a treatment for fertility. It involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on your body (acupoints) to help alleviate pain, unblock energy, and increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, thereby restoring balance to the body and boosting fertility in the process.
Weekly acupuncture sessions at TCM clinics is reported to improve ovulation for woman with PCOS, improve BMI, reduce the levels of LH, estradiol and testosterone, increase ovulation reaction and effectively shorten menstrual cycles in women with PCOS.
Aside from listening to what your body needs, you can speak to our TCM physicians and get treatments for your PCOS in Singapore today.
