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Press coverage
Acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine – Jo George
Women's Own | February 2009
It solved my fertility problems
Hannah Elliman, 37, from halsted Essex, is mum to Eva, two, and pregnant with her second child. She credits her successful pregnancies to Chinese herbs and acupuncture.
‘We tried to get pregnant for over three years and even had IVF treatment before deciding to try Chinese medicine’, says Hannah, a teacher. In June 2005, she started seeing Jo George at the Life Medicine clinic in North London. ‘Jo found I was suffering from erratic ovulation’, says Hannah. She was given various formulations of herbs to drink at different times of the month. ‘The first proof it was working was fertility predictor tests that showed I was ovulating. A month after I started the treatment, I was pregnant, but miscarried. I was upset but determined to carry on. Four months later I got pregnant with Eva’. After Eva was born in 2006 Hannah tried again. ‘I got pregnant when Eva was about 14 months, but miscarried at six weeks, so I saw Jo again. Four months later I was pregnant again. My baby is due in March’.
Red Magazine | August 2008
Acupuncture is calming my pregnancy terror - click here to read.
METRO | March 17th 2008
The Sharp End of Fertility - click here to read.
Ten to 15 per cent of British couples a year have difficulty conceiving. Common responses include IUI (intrauterine insemination) or IVF (in vitro fertilisation), with drugs to encourage ovulation.
However, a report published last month claimed acupuncture can raise IVF success rates by as much as 65 per cent.
The benefits are obvious: reduced side effects and practitioners who take a holistic view of patient health – so sitting down with them is like chatting to your best (informed) friend.
The comfort factor is something that has led conventional medicine to pooh-pooh encouraging results; it also makes those results hard to quantify – but conventional medicine is opening up to possibilities.
The IVF unit at Hammersmith Hospital, west London, combines complementary and mainstream medicine. For example, Gidon Lieberman, a fertility specialist at north London's Whittington Hospital, says: 'We know that some people manage spontaneous pregnancies [with complementary therapy] and we often don't know why.
'But the fertility journey is hard, so anything that eases it is worthwhile.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Jo George specialises in Traditional Chinese Medicine and gynaecology at the Life Medicine Clinic, combining acupuncture and Chinese herbs to treat infertility.
'The people I meet have usually been through Western medicine to the extent they're thinking about or have had IUI and IVF,' she says.
According to TCM, says Jo, unexplained infertility (18 per cent of all cases) always has a cause.
'Premenstrual symptoms, for example, or slightly late ovulation – these wouldn't be picked up in Western medicine. In TCM, we'd see that as an imbalance that needs treating. We look at these cases holistically – diet, environment, stress levels, what's happening in that person's life.
'In response, the herbal treatment can get very sophisticated. I may blend three formulas for the same month, one for pre-ovulation, another for ovulation, and another for post ovulation depending on the issues.'
She boasts some startling success stories, although there are always cases that neither Western nor Chinese medicine can treat. 'Sometimes some people's systems are just better suited to a more holistic route.'
Healthy Magazine | July 2007
Review on Dang Gui, its uses in female gynaecology.
Evening Standard | January 2007
5 Chinese Medicine tips for a good night's sleep.
Daily Mail | February 2006
Will Acupuncture really help women to concieve?
Complementary medicine: Michelle Stanistreet asks if her claim has a scientific basis.
Amanda Bush, 36, after trying for four years to conceive, and failed conventional fertility treatment turned to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine at the Life Medicine Clinic, London. Following a combination of Chinese Herbal Medicine and acupuncture she was successful within three months.
Sunday Express Magazine | 15 January 2006
Treatment of the week - Life Medicine Clinic
How regular treatments helped Louise Walker to gain a healthy body and mind, through improved digestion, sleep, and genearl well being.
Daily Mirror | 17 February 2006
How we got pregnant, apart from the obvious 'Acupuncture got my ovary working' by Kim Jones - Click here to read.
Pregnancy, Baby and You Magazine | December 2005
Sharp response. Could the ancient practice of acupuncture really improve Thalia Gray's fertility and help maintain a healthy first pregnancy?
As a sufferer of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Thalia Gray, 40, had irregular periods for most of her life. A month of weekly treatments with Jo at the Lifemedicine clinic managed to get her monthly cycles back on track. Just after five months after her treatment started she became pregnant at the first attempt. She continued throughout her pregnancy tomaintian acupuncture treatments, which reduced nausea, removed sciatica pain, and helped her recover from Post natal depression once her son was born.
Zest Magazine | September 2005
Acupuncture helped me get pregnant
Alison Hammond 37, IT analyst, London started trying to conceive at 34, but after a year nothing happened. She suspected endometriosis, which was confirmed. They also picked up a large blood filled cyst on her ovary. She had keyhole surgery to remove it, but still after 8 months she wasn't pregnant. After consulting Jo, she followed her recommendations to reduce sugar, and dairy intake, and to eat as much organic as possible and as well as take Chinese herbal medicine and receive regular acupuncture. Within 3 months she was pregnant, and continued with regular acupuncture throughout her pregnancy which helped reduce nausea. She had no complications throughout, and gave birth to Henry, 7lbs 6oz, after two hour labour with no pain relief.
Independent | 1 March 2005
I was desperate to start a family
Double page Health review. A combination of Chinese Medicine and conventional IVF treatment is showing promising results in helping infertile couples by Hester Lacey. Mary Stewart had several eptopic pregnancies, and had her right ovary removed. Mary, 31 tried IVF, which was unsuccessful. After seeking alternative treatment with Jo at the Life medicine clinic, Mary's left ovary was stimulated into action. She continued with a course of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and conceived naturally after another failed IVF attempt. At 36 weeks her son was in breech position, and jo turned the baby using Moxa (a dried herb), and Mary avoided a caesarean.
Men's Health Magazine
Will acupuncture or hypnotherapy help you stop smoking?
Alex visited Jo George - a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. Click here to read. How Alex staved off his withdrawal symptoms with acupuncture sessions from Jo.
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