Is there any scientific research that substantiates the claims of Chinese medicine?
There have been numerous studies done in China examining the efficacy of different variations of treatment: acupuncture only; Chinese herbs only; combination of herbs and acupuncture; and the use of traditional Chinese medicine in combination with Western medicine techniques such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Historically, the infertility rate in China has been about 3%. Combining Chinese medicine with Western techniques has lowered the infertility rate even more. Unfortunately these Chinese studies are rarely translated into English, and English-language medical journals generally publish only the studies which have been done in the United States and Europe. In April, 2002, Fertility and Sterility, a publication of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, published a study which was widely covered in the media, and was presented by Dr. Nancy Snyderman on “Good Morning America.” This study examined the use of acupuncture treatments in combination with IVF on a group of 160 wom
