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Blog

Evidence-based articles on traditional Chinese medicine, fertility, hormones, and women’s health — written from over 25 years of clinical practice by Dr (TCM) Attilio D’Alberto.

Fertility & Conception  |  Menstrual Health & Hormones  |  Pregnancy & Postpartum  |  Menopause & Perimenopause  |  Mental Health, Sleep & Stress  |  Modern Life & Health  |  Pain & Headaches  |  General Health & Conditions  |  Men’s Health & Fertility  |  Chinese Herbs & Supplements  |  Acupuncture & Treatments  |  TCM Theory & Concepts

Fertility & Conception

Chinese Herbs for Fertility

An overview of the main Chinese herbal approaches to supporting fertility.

When to Have Acupuncture for Fertility

Timing acupuncture to the menstrual cycle for maximum fertility benefit.

How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant?

What the evidence says about conception timelines and what affects them.

How to Improve Egg Quality for IVF

Preparing eggs for IVF with Chinese medicine — the evidence and approach.

Low AMH — What It Means and What You Can Do

Understanding low AMH and how Chinese medicine approaches diminished ovarian reserve.

How to Improve and Manage Ovarian Reserve

Strategies for improving AMH and egg quality with Chinese medicine.

Short Follicular Phase and Fertility

What a short follicular phase means and how Chinese medicine improves follicle development.

CoQ10 for Fertility

How CoQ10 improves egg quality, sperm motility and mitochondrial function for fertility.

Vitamins and Supplements to Help You Get Pregnant

The most important fertility supplements and how they complement TCM treatment.

Vitamin B12 for Fertility

The role of B12 in fertility and how deficiency affects conception and pregnancy.

How to Improve Fertility Naturally Over 40

How to optimise egg quality, supplement intelligently, and use TCM to support fertility after 40.

Getting Pregnant After 30 Naturally

Optimising fertility in your 30s with Chinese medicine — egg quality, cycle regulation and stress.

Can You Get Pregnant During Perimenopause?

Fertility in the perimenopause years and what Chinese medicine can do to support conception.

Coming Off the Pill to Get Pregnant

What to expect when stopping the pill and how Chinese medicine supports cycle recovery.

Getting Pregnant After the Depo Injection

How long it takes fertility to return after Depo and how Chinese medicine can help.

How to Increase Chances of Having Twins

What affects twin conception rates and the role of fertility treatment.

Natural Remedies for PCOS

Evidence-based natural approaches to PCOS — Chinese herbs, diet and acupuncture.

Types of PCOS

The four PCOS types in Chinese medicine and how each is treated differently.

How Can I Get Pregnant with PCOS?

Strategies for conception with PCOS — Chinese medicine, acupuncture and lifestyle.

How to Ovulate with PCOS

Restoring ovulation in PCOS with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

How to Prevent Miscarriage with PCOS

Chinese medicine strategies for reducing miscarriage risk in women with PCOS.

Endometriosis vs PCOS — What’s the Difference?

How to distinguish endometriosis from PCOS and how Chinese medicine treats each.

Chinese Medicine for Endometriosis

Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture for endometriosis — the evidence and approach.

Getting Pregnant with Endometriosis Naturally

Improving fertility with endometriosis using Chinese medicine.

Exercises for Endometriosis

Which exercises help endometriosis and which to avoid — a TCM and evidence-based view.

Endo Belly — What It Is and How to Reduce It

What causes the bloating of endometriosis and how TCM reduces it.

Low Progesterone and Fertility

How low progesterone affects fertility and how acupuncture and Chinese herbs support the luteal phase.

Late Ovulation and Pregnancy

What late ovulation means for conception and how Chinese medicine regulates ovulation timing.

Ovulation: Signs, Symptoms and TCM

The signs of ovulation explained through a TCM lens and how acupuncture improves ovulatory function.

How to Improve Cervical Mucus

Improving cervical mucus quality for fertility — Kidney Yin nourishment in TCM.

How to Thicken the Uterine Lining

Evidence-based approaches to improving endometrial thickness for implantation and IVF.

How to Warm the Uterus

The TCM concept of uterine cold and how moxibustion and herbs warm the uterus for fertility.

How to Improve Blood Flow to the Uterus

Chinese medicine approaches to improving uterine circulation for implantation and pregnancy.

Implantation Bleeding: What It Is, When It Occurs and TCM

What implantation bleeding is, how to tell it from a period, and TCM support for implantation.

What Is a Chemical Pregnancy?

What a chemical pregnancy is, why it happens, and how Chinese medicine supports early pregnancy.

DPO in Pregnancy — What It Means

Days post ovulation explained — what happens in the two-week wait and what to look for.

Getting Pregnant with a Blocked Fallopian Tube

Fertility options and Chinese medicine approaches with blocked tubes.

Prolactin and Fertility

How elevated prolactin affects fertility and how Chinese medicine addresses it.

Menstrual Health & Hormones

The Menstrual Cycle in Chinese Medicine: The Four Phases

How TCM maps the four phases of the menstrual cycle and why timing treatment matters.

Treatment for Irregular Periods

Chinese medicine approaches to regulating the menstrual cycle.

Acupuncture for Period Pain

How acupuncture removes blood stasis and cold from the uterus to relieve dysmenorrhoea.

Chinese Medicine for Heavy Periods

TCM patterns behind heavy menstrual bleeding and the herbs that regulate it.

Chinese Medicine for a Light Period

TCM patterns behind scanty periods and the herbs that nourish and build Blood.

How to Remove Menstrual Clots

What causes blood clots during your period and how TCM and Chinese herbal medicine can resolve them.

When Your Period Won’t Stop

Causes of prolonged menstruation and how acupuncture and Chinese herbs stop heavy, extended periods.

Bleeding Between Periods

Causes of intermenstrual bleeding and how TCM distinguishes and treats them.

Post-Pill Amenorrhoea

Why periods may not return after stopping the contraceptive pill and how TCM restores the cycle.

How to Naturally Induce a Period

Safe, evidence-based methods to bring on a late or absent period using Chinese medicine.

Headaches During Your Period

Why menstrual headaches occur and how TCM distinguishes and treats the patterns.

Period Flu — Why You Feel Ill Before Your Period

Why some women experience flu-like symptoms before their period and the TCM explanation.

Period Cravings

Why you crave certain foods before your period and what TCM says about it.

What to Eat During Your Period

TCM dietary advice for menstruation — foods that support blood flow and reduce cramps.

Uncontrollable Crying During Your Period

Why emotional symptoms worsen before and during periods — the Liver Blood connection in TCM.

Water Retention Before Your Period

Why premenstrual bloating occurs and how Chinese medicine reduces fluid retention.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for PMS

How acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treat premenstrual syndrome by addressing Liver Qi stagnation.

Natural Remedies for PMS

Natural approaches to PMS — the evidence for Chinese herbs, acupuncture and lifestyle changes.

Natural Supplements for PMS

Evidence-based supplements for PMS — magnesium, B6, calcium, and vitex — with the TCM context.

Natural PMDD Treatment

TCM patterns behind PMDD and the herbal and acupuncture treatments that address them.

Types of Hormone Imbalance

The main hormonal imbalances affecting women and how Chinese medicine identifies and treats them.

Natural Hormone Imbalance Treatment

How Chinese medicine treats hormonal imbalance at the root through TCM pattern diagnosis.

How to Flush Out Excess Oestrogen

How the liver processes oestrogen and how Chinese medicine supports oestrogen clearance.

What Does the Liver Do to Hormones?

How the liver metabolises hormones and the TCM Liver-hormone connection.

How to Shrink Ovarian Cysts Naturally

Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture for ovarian cysts — the TCM approach.

Women’s Intimate Health — A TCM Perspective

TCM patterns behind vaginal dryness, discharge, and recurrent infections.

Pregnancy & Postpartum

Acupuncture for Morning Sickness

How acupuncture treats nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Moxibustion for Breech Baby

The evidence for moxibustion at BL 67 to turn a breech presentation.

Sciatica Pain Relief in Pregnancy

Acupuncture for pregnancy-related sciatica and pelvic girdle pain.

Acupuncture for Low hCG in Early Pregnancy

How acupuncture supports early pregnancy by improving blood flow and Kidney Yang.

Postpartum Depression: Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine

How acupuncture and Chinese herbs treat postnatal depression — safe while breastfeeding.

Menopause & Perimenopause

Perimenopause: Natural Treatment with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs

TCM treatment for perimenopause — hot flushes, mood changes, sleep disturbance and irregular periods.

Acupuncture for Hot Flushes

How acupuncture nourishes kidney yin and anchors yang to reduce hot flushes and night sweats.

Natural HRT Alternative

TCM approaches to menopause without HRT — evidence and herbal options.

Menopause Sleep Problems — Natural Remedies

TCM patterns behind menopausal insomnia and the herbs and acupuncture that restore sleep.

Breast Pain During Menopause

Why breast tenderness occurs during perimenopause and menopause, and TCM approaches to relief.

Perimenopause — The Hidden Transition

The 5–10 year hormonal transition before menopause — why it’s missed, the symptom picture, and how TCM helps.

Mental Health, Sleep & Stress

Cortisol and Stress: How Acupuncture Regulates the HPA Axis

How chronically elevated cortisol damages health and how acupuncture normalises the stress response.

Acupuncture for Insomnia

How acupuncture treats insomnia by calming the Heart-Shen and addressing root patterns.

Waking Up at the Same Time Every Night

The TCM organ clock and what waking at 1–3am means for your health.

Adrenal Fatigue — Natural Treatment

TCM approaches to adrenal fatigue — restoring Kidney Yang and Qi.

Natural Antidepressant Herbs

Chinese herbs with antidepressant properties — the evidence and TCM context.

Chinese Herbs to Boost Mood and Energy

Suan Zao Ren, Chai Hu, ginseng, and astragalus — the key herbs for mood and energy.

Stress Belly Fat

How cortisol drives abdominal weight gain and how TCM and acupuncture address it.

Neurowellness and Acupuncture

Regulating the nervous system for modern life — the 2026 wellness trend and how acupuncture delivers it.

Sleep Optimisation from a TCM Perspective

Why two hours before midnight are worth ten after, the organ clock, and sleeping in alignment with yin.

Digital Overload, Burnout and Acupuncture

How digital overload drives fatigue and anxiety — and how acupuncture helps you unplug and restore.

Modern Life & Health

TCM Lifestyle Tips for Working from Home

Protect your energy, posture, digestion and mental health as a remote or hybrid worker.

GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic, Mounjaro) and TCM

How Chinese medicine supports people on GLP-1s — managing nausea, fatigue, constipation and preserving muscle.

Pain & Headaches

Chinese Medicine for Migraines

Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin and acupuncture for liver yang rising migraines — the evidence and treatment.

Cluster Headaches: Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Treatment

How acupuncture treats cluster headaches by addressing Liver-Gallbladder Fire.

Headaches That Don’t Respond to Painkillers

Why some headaches persist despite medication and the TCM patterns that explain them.

General Health & Conditions

Chinese Medicine for Eczema

How Chinese herbal medicine treats eczema by clearing Damp-Heat and Wind from the skin.

Chinese Medicine for Hay Fever

Treating hay fever and allergic rhinitis with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Natural Treatment for Allergic Rhinitis

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs for allergic rhinitis and hay fever.

Chinese Medicine for IBS

How Chinese medicine treats IBS through Spleen, Liver and Stomach patterns.

Chinese Medicine for Constipation

TCM patterns behind constipation and the herbal and lifestyle treatments.

Chinese Medicine for Acid Reflux

TCM patterns behind acid reflux and GERD and the herbal treatments.

Chinese Medicine for Hiatal Hernia

TCM patterns behind hiatal hernia and the herbs that descend Stomach Qi.

How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally with Chinese Medicine

How acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine lower cholesterol by addressing Spleen-Phlegm-Damp.

How to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally

TCM dietary and herbal approaches to blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity.

How to Improve Blood Circulation Naturally

Herbs, acupuncture and lifestyle changes to improve circulation in TCM.

Chinese Medicine for Hair Loss

TCM patterns behind hair loss and the Blood and Kidney nourishing herbs.

Chinese Medicine for Weight Loss

How TCM addresses the Spleen and Damp-Phlegm patterns underlying weight gain.

How to Lose Hormonal Weight Gain

Addressing the Spleen and hormone patterns behind weight gain with Chinese medicine.

Natural Treatment for Frequent Urination

Chinese medicine approaches to bladder weakness and frequent urination.

Thyroid Health Supplements

Key supplements for thyroid function — selenium, iodine, zinc and the TCM context.

Puffy Face in the Morning

What causes morning facial puffiness and how Chinese medicine addresses fluid retention.

Best Remedy for Dry Cough

TCM patterns behind dry cough and the Chinese herbal remedies that treat it.

Chinese Medicine for Cold and Flu

Chinese herbal medicine for acute infections — the key formulas and when to use them.

Natural Supplements for Prostate Health

Evidence-based supplements for prostate health and BPH in TCM.

Men’s Health & Fertility

How to Boost Male Fertility

Evidence-based Chinese medicine approaches to improving male fertility naturally.

How to Increase Sperm Volume

Chinese medicine approaches to improving sperm parameters and volume.

How to Improve Sperm Morphology

Chinese medicine approaches to improving sperm shape and morphology.

Azoospermia Treatment

Chinese medicine approaches to azoospermia — treating the underlying Kidney and Damp-Heat patterns.

How to Boost Libido Naturally

TCM approaches to low libido in men and women — Kidney Jing and hormonal balance.

The Male Menopause (Andropause)

Low testosterone, fatigue and Kidney yang deficiency — the under-recognised male hormonal transition.

Chinese Herbs & Supplements

Blood Building Herbs in Chinese Medicine

The key Blood-tonifying herbs in TCM — Dang Gui, Shu Di Huang, Bai Shao and more.

Dong Quai (Dang Gui) for Hormone Balance

Dang Gui as the foremost Blood-nourishing herb for women’s health in Chinese medicine.

Astragalus (Huang Qi) Benefits

Huang Qi as an immune tonic and adaptogen — evidence and clinical applications.

Bupleurum (Chai Hu) Benefits

Chai Hu as the foremost Liver Qi-moving herb in Chinese medicine.

Schisandra Berry (Wu Wei Zi) Benefits

Wu Wei Zi as an adaptogenic herb for energy, liver health and menopause.

Jujube Seed (Suan Zao Ren) Benefits

Suan Zao Ren as a Heart-calming herb for insomnia, anxiety and blood deficiency.

Mugwort (Ai Ye) Benefits

Mugwort in moxibustion and Chinese herbal medicine — uses, evidence and safety.

Health Benefits of Ginkgo Biloba

How ginkgo biloba improves circulation, cognitive function and fertility in TCM.

Dandelion Root Benefits

Dandelion root as a liver and digestive tonic in Chinese medicine — evidence and uses.

Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero) Benefits

Adaptogenic properties of Siberian ginseng — energy, immunity and stress resilience.

Spirulina Benefits

Nutritional and therapeutic properties of spirulina — a TCM and modern perspective.

Medicinal Mushrooms Benefits

Reishi, shiitake, lion’s mane and chaga — benefits, evidence and TCM applications.

Atractylodes (Bai Zhu) Benefits

Bai Zhu as a Spleen tonic and digestive herb in Chinese medicine.

Jia Wei Xiao Yao San Benefits

Clinical uses of Jia Wei Xiao Yao San for Liver Heat, PMS and emotional health.

Yin Qiao San Benefits

Yin Qiao San for acute Wind-Heat — the classical formula for colds and sore throats.

Chinese Herbs for Kidney Health

Key herbs for supporting Kidney function in Chinese medicine.

Chinese Herbs for Cognitive Function

Herbs that support memory, clarity and brain function in TCM.

Natural Iron Supplements and Food Sources

Iron-rich foods and natural supplements for anaemia and blood deficiency in TCM.

Magnesium: Benefits, Deficiency Signs and the Best Supplements

Magnesium’s roles in sleep, anxiety, migraines and PMS — the TCM connections and how to choose the right form.

Acupuncture & Treatments

What to Expect from Acupuncture

A guide to your first acupuncture appointment — what happens and what to expect.

Benefits of Cupping Therapy

How cupping therapy works in TCM, what it treats and what to expect from a session.

Facial Acupuncture — Benefits and What to Expect

How facial acupuncture works, what it treats and what a session involves.

Acupressure Points for Sinus Relief

Self-treatment acupressure points to relieve sinus congestion, pain and pressure.

Moxibustion for Water Retention

How moxibustion warms Yang and transforms Damp to reduce fluid retention.

Acupuncture for Oedema

How acupuncture and moxibustion treat fluid retention and oedema in TCM.

TCM Theory & Concepts

Yin Deficiency in Chinese Medicine

Understanding Yin deficiency — signs, patterns and treatment in TCM.

Yang Deficiency in Chinese Medicine

Understanding Yang deficiency — signs, patterns and treatment in TCM.