Jing in Chinese Medicine
How is Jing Related to Fertility?

Jing in Chinese medicine represents our essence; our genetic makeup. There are 3 treasures in Chinese medicine; jing, qi and shen. We receive our jing from our parents when we are conceived. Jing is the essence of the sperm and egg that combine to form life. In Chinese medicine, we support and nourish jing through diet and herbal therapy. Qi is the energy that enlivens and animates the body. In Chinese medicine, we treat and balance qi with acupuncture. Shen is our spirit, which resides in our heart. We treat nourish and calm the shen with acupuncture, herbal therapy and meditation.

There are two ways a person can become deficient in jing. In Chinese medicine the person is either born with less jing or the body became jing deficient through illness, stress or major Type A behavior. In either case, jing deficiency manifests in women as a late menarche (usually later than 16 years old,) underdeveloped sexual characteristics, and low ovarian reserve. Jing deficiency manifests in men as underdeveloped sexual characteristics, late puberty and extremely low sperm production. Jing in Chinese medicine can be tonified, but it's a long term strategy due to the need for deeply nourishing the body.

Jing in Chinese Medicine and Infertility

Jing in Chinese medicine is intimately involved in fertility. However, sometimes the problem is not as serious as a jing deficiency. Often times the body is neither severely deficient in jing or infertile, but rather just imbalanced. This imbalance is generally due to the use of pharmaceutical birth control practices, an unhealthy diet, and stress. These are the cases where Chinese medicine excels. With a proper diet and lifestyle changes as the foundation, acupuncture and herbs work to balance the energy of the body.

Infertility, Chinese medicine and acupuncture are headlining magazines, newspapers, and television programs. Couples around the world in San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, New York, London, Dubai, Capetown, Mumbai, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, and Auckland are turning to traditional Chinese medicine in their search for an effective treatment for infertility. On this page, I would like to give a general overview of Chinese medicine and infertility.

You may have seen the terms traditional Chinese medicine, TCM, Chinese medicine, traditional Oriental medicine and Oriental medicine used in reference to this ancient medicine that originated in China, and then spread throughout Asia. In Japan and Korea specifically, practitioners expanded upon the theory of Chinese medicine to create their own signature styles. Therefore, the terms traditional Oriental medicine and Oriental medicine came into use to recognize the contributions these countries made to Chinese medicine over the last few hundred years.

The Yellow Emperor
First to write on jing in Chinese medicine

The seminal medical text, The Nei Jing or The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic was written during the 2nd century B.C., about 2200 years ago. This text was composed of concise medical writings and is still a fundamental text in the education of acupuncturists today. Just as there are the 3 treasures; qi, shen and jing in Chinese medicine, there are also 8 branches. Historically, traditional Chinese medicine is recognized as having eight branches, including acupuncture, herbs, diet, tuina (massage), qigong (breathwork, meditation), tai qi (martial arts), astrology and feng shui. The Fertility Acupuncturist will primarily focus on the five branches of Chinese medicine often used to promote fertility, including acupuncture, herbs, diet, massage and meditation.

Acupuncture for Fertility

Acupuncture for fertility, is in vogue at the moment. It's being used effectively to naturally treat infertility in the framework of traditional Chinese medicine, but it's popularity in the press is mostly due to its effectiveness in improving IVF success rates. Many reproductive endocrinologists (RE) are urging their patients to combine acupuncture and IVF, by receiving acupuncture treatments both prior to and after embryo transfer, due to research published in 2002 in Fertility and Sterility Medical Journal.

While acupuncture may help an IVF cycle, I believe that only considering acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to an IVF cycle sells acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine short. Acupuncture is noteworthy in it's effect on endorphins, hormonal modulation, pain relief, menstrual regulation, sleep quality and mood enhancement, to name a few. Read on to learn more about how you can use acupuncture for in fertility and jing in Chinese medicine.

Chinese Herbs for Fertility

Chinese herbs for fertility may be the dominant component of any Chinese medicine treatment for infertility. Chinese herbs have long been recognized for their efficacy in treating a myriad of internal disorders. With fertility issues, Chinese herbs are the cornerstone of any Chinese medicine treatment for infertility. Herbs are the primary method for treating jing in Chinese medicine.

The field of Chinese herbal medicine is complex, yet simple and elegant. This may sound like a contradiction in terms, but this is the dynamic that flows throughout TCM. It's the yin and yang of the medicine. Early on I became entranced by the power of Chinese herbs. One of my earliest cases in gynecology was a 26 year old woman, who had uterine bleeding for a month. Her doctor wanted to do a hysterectomy. I made her a 10 day prescription of herbs. She stopped bleeding after the first day of taking herbs. She finished her 10 days and hasn't had unusual uterine bleeding since that episode.

Outside of IVF cycles or medicated IUI cycles, I always encourage patients to take herbs. The main goal at the onset of treatment is to regulate the cycle, promote a healthy period, encourage the production of egg-white cervical mucus, and stimulate an efficient ovulation. Depending on the degree of imbalance, most women see immediate changes in their cycle and often comment on the reduction on PMS symptoms, the increase in clear cervical secretions and the higher temperatures in the luteal phase. Read on to learn how Chinese herbs enhance fertility and jing in Chinese medicine.

Fertility Massage

Fertility massage has been used in many cultures as a treatment for infertility. I've studied fertility massage in Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand, as well as styles from China and Latin America. Each of these massage techniques share the common purpose of bringing more blood flow to the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. With more blood circulation, comes more nourishment for the follicles and the endometrium.

There are a number of massage specialties now focusing on improving fertility. I'll share these with you in my massage article. Also, I'll go over the basic principles of abdominal massage, so that you can do some self care at home. If you're following a fertility diet and taking Chinese herbs, its helpful to use massage to gently nourish the jing. In Chinese medicine massage is one direct way to nourish the kidneys, which indirectly tonifies the jing. Read on to learn more about massage and fertility.

Fertility Diet

Following a personalized fertility diet plays a key role in Chinese medicine and infertility. Within traditional Chinese medicine, dietary therapy is looked upon as the foundational component of any treatment. While a fertility diet alone may slowly produce perceptible results, the behind the scenes effect is compelling. We know that food and drink, not only nourish our bodies, but also the genetic material within the ovaries and sperm. To a certain extent a baby is what her parents ate.

In treating infertility, a TCM practitioner must not only think about helping a woman get pregnant, but about the health of the forthcoming baby. Proper fertility diets tailored to each parents' health condition encourage the full expression of potential fertility in each individual. Both egg and sperm are equally important in conception and in the health of a baby. Dietary therapy is an excellent way to support jing in Chinese medicine. Read on to learn about the major components necessary in a healthy fertility diet.

Meditation and Fertility

Meditation and fertility are intertwined on 4 planes within Chinese medicine. Meditation affects the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual nature of a person. In TCM, qigong with its focus on body position and breath was the traditional form of meditation. When treating infertility within a Chinese medicine framework, the primarily aim is to quiet the mind and reduce stress.

This can be done effectively with traditional qigong, a meditation CD, yogic pranayama, visual imagery, mantras, zen meditation, prayer, or any number of meditation practices. The style of meditation is not nearly as important as the calming effect of the practice. In this section, I will introduce a variety of meditational practices that can help to quiet the mind, alleviate stress and hence allows the full expression of fertility. Read on to learn how meditation can help enhance your fertility.