Anovulation/ No ovulation

Anovulation is the absence of ovulation in a woman who would normally be ovulating (not pregnant or post-menopausal). If no egg is released then a woman cannot achieve pregnancy naturally. Anovulation can result from a number of different factors.

• Taking the birth control pill. Some women have been on the birth control pill for 10 or 15 years before coming to try to conceive. It can take the body’s own hormonal system to kick back into action to start ovulation.

• Stress. Mental or physical stress can temporarily alter the functioning of your hypothalamus — an area of your brain that controls the hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle. Ovulation and menstruation may stop as a result. A regular menstrual period often resumes after your stress decreases. Here stress can be from your job, relationship, excessive travel, prolonged illness

• Chronic illness. Both chronic mental (e.g. depression) or physical (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease) illness can be contributing factors to anovulation.

• Low body weight/fat. The body uses its fat reserves to help in estrogen production. Estrogen is a key hormone involved in ovulation and if its production is diminished due to low body fat a woman will have difficulty ovulating normally.

• Too much exercise. The body needs a fair amount of energy to accomplish all the steps needed to make ovulation to occur. Excess exercise will not only use up the energy the body needs to ovulate, but it often results in low body weight/fat as well.

• Pollution and recreational drug use. Some environmental pollutants and recreational drugs can interrupt normal hormone function and inhibit the cascade of hormonal events need to create ovulation.

• Hormone Imbalances. Elevated levels of testosterone and prolactin, like in PCOS, can stop ovulation from happening.

• Pituitary or Ovarian Failure. The pituitary gland helps produces Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) without which ovulation can not occur. The eggs are stored in the ovaries, so if a woman’s ovaries no longer function then she can no longer ovulate.

Treatment

Like with amenorrhea, anovulation occurs less because of faults in the physical structure of the reproductive system but more in how those structures function. Luckily Chinese medicine excels at uncovering and treating functional problems in the reproductive system.

If you are not ovulating there is a reason for this. With a thorough investigation of your symptoms and detailed look at your medical history you and your specialist will be able uncover the root of why you are not ovulating and are unable to conceive. Treating and correcting the underlying root with acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas is the best way to correct these imbalances and help your body to ovulate again. Depending on the cause of your anovulation life style and nutrition changes will be necessary to get your body back on track and ovulating again as well.

Research

The small study “The Acupuncture Treatment of 11 Cases of Noneruption of Matured Eggs” found in the Blue Poppy Press Research Reports looked at 11 women between the ages of 25 – 35 who had not been able to conceive for 4 – 13 years. They were all diagnosed with anovulatory infertility.

In this study acupuncture was performed on Day 10 of the cycle. An ultrasound was performed 24 hours later to confirm ovulation. If ovulation did not occur then acupuncture was repeated the next day. The same process was repeated up to 3 times.

Using the above protocol, five cases ovulated after a single treatment, two cases ovulated after two treatments, and two cases ovulated after three treatments. Two cases failed to ovulate after three treatments. Of the 9 women who ovulated 4 conceived. Therefore 36% conceived and 82% ovulated after only 1 – 3 acupuncture treatments.

The great part about this study is that it shows the effectiveness of acupuncture for helping anovulatory woman ovulate and more important successfully conceive. Clinical experience in my practise also shows that we are able to help the vast majority of woman ovulate again thereby moving them a big step forward on their way to a successful pregnancy.