A recent study from the Adelaide University which was a systematic review, found that that “herbal therapy improved pregnancy rates as much as 2-fold in just a 4-month period in comparison with Western Medical fertility drug therapy or IVF.”

The research reviewed 30 earlier studies of over 1800 women with infertility and found that “Herbal Medicine achieved, on average, a 60% pregnancy rate over 4 months compared with 30% achieved with standard western drug treatment, or IVF over 12 months.”

The study also found that the same improvement in pregnancy rates was true when herbal medicine was used alone or in conjunction with Western drugs or IVF.

Dr. Lorne Brown is delighted with this new study. “We have an integrated approach and work closely with western fertility specialists. Until now they have been concerned about combining herbal treatment with IVF. I hope that this study will convince them of the benefit of customized herbal treatment.”

The cornerstone of Herbal Medicine for fertility is regulating the menstrual cycle, according to Brown. “We usually work with a woman for three to six months using herbal therapy and acupuncture to regulate her cycle. Often she ends up conceiving naturally, but this treatment can also help optimize her egg quality and the uterine lining, so she has a better chance of success with IVF.”

With infertility on the rise, as more women delay starting their families, herbal treatments could be a natural, low cost alternative or adjunct to western fertility treatments. However, Brown always recommends that his patients see a fertility specialist and get a full fertility workup.

“There are some conditions like completely blocked fallopian tubes where IVF is the best option. Western reproductive medicine is brilliant at the mechanics of uniting egg and sperm and transferring the embryo. The advances in this area over the last 30 years have been tremendous. But where herbal therapy shines is in balancing hormones, reducing stress and optimizing the health of the eggs and uterine lining. Herbal medicine is particularly helpful for women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (a leading cause of infertility and anovulation) endometriosis, recurrent miscarriages and unexplained infertility.”