My friend Lina and I (I'm on the left) spent a couple of hours this morning with a group of carers in north London to give a talk on complementary therapies. The event was organised by the Brent Carers Centre, which offers support and activities to carers in the local area. This is a very large group of people whose work often goes unrecognised in society. One in eight adults in the UK are carers, according to Carers UK. This really hit home a few years ago when my mother-in-law started caring for my father-in-law at home, which is effectively a 24-hour job.

I spoke about the benefits of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to address physical, psychological and mental conditions. This seems to have resonated deeply with the attendees and it was great to see such  level of interest, presumably because of the very high mental and physical toll on carers. Seventy-two percent of respondents to Carers UK's State of Caring survey said they suffered mental ill health as a result of caring, while 61% said they suffered physical ill health. Many of the attendees wanted to know what they can do to help themselves, whether that is getting treatment or learning tai chi or qi gong (Chinese exercises that are based on principles of relaxation, balance and breathing, among others). They had conditions such as migraines, sciatica and tinnitus that respond well to acupuncture.

Apart from anything else, it was great to team up with my friend Lina Ramchand, whom I first met in Hong Kong about 20 years ago when we were both copy editors at the South China Morning Post. She is now practising reflexology, Indian head massage and sekhem energy work, and I am now an acupuncturist so we can help patients and carers in so many ways.

​A recent study by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that sperm counts among men in the west have fallen by around 50% in four decades. There is nothing new in this study, as it was an analysis of more than 100 previous studies in the field. But it certainly highlights what fertility experts have known for decades – that more and more couples worldwide are having problems conceiving.
 
According to the NHS, one in seven couples in the UK may have difficulty conceiving. The causes of fertility are myriad, from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and thyroid problems for women, to lower quality sperm and low sperm count for men. But for 25% of couples with fertility issues, a cause cannot be identified.
 
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) has gained wide acceptance since the world’s first baby was born through IVF in 1978 (remember Baby Louise?). In the UK, more than 250,000 babies were born through IVF. In the western world, 1% (and rising) of all babies are born through assisted reproductive technology.
 
However, IVF cannot help everyone, with its high emotional, social and financial burden. Fertility drugs have side effects, from bloating and mood swings, to ectopic pregnancy and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The success rate of IVF is highly dependent on the age of the woman undergoing treatment, as well as the cause of infertility.
 
Unless couples have very specific reasons for going down the IVF route, it’s best to try boosting fertility the natural way first. Some of the suggestions are well-known - get healthy, lose weight, don’t leave it too late, have fun with sex. Less well known is the importance of keeping calm and relaxed and not getting too anxious.
 
In Chinese medicine, the Uterus Channel or Bao Mai is the channel which connects the Uterus to the Heart. The Heart is particularly susceptible to emotional stress such as anxiety, which in turn can affect the health and receptivity of the uterus. Trying to have a baby can be very stressful, and when the body is in an anxious state, many physiological reactions can adversely affect your ability to conceive. Hormones are released, blood vessels are constricted, and blood moves away from the torso to the limbs as your body gets ready to flee in a fight-or-flight response. This means that blood supply to the pelvic organs, the uterus and ovaries is reduced.
 
Acupuncture helps boost fertility by improving blood flow to the pelvic organs, therefore promoting the growth of endometrial tissue, optimising ovulation, and regulating menstruation. Acupuncture is safe and has very few adverse side effects, when done by properly trained practitioners. 
 
Click here to see research on how acupuncture can help with female infertility and male infertility.

Transitions are a stressful time, whether it is divorce, death or losing a job. Even happy occasions such as starting a new job, moving home or giving birth are fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. These are moments when it can be very beneficial to be supported by acupuncture. I was reminded of this very recently while treating a patient who is getting ready to go back to work after a year’s maternity leave.
 
New mums returning to work are full of conflicting emotions, from worry regarding the logistics of getting her baby to childcare in the morning, to possibly guilt about having some time to herself again after having devoted herself to her baby full-time since birth. My son was born in Hong Kong, where maternity leave was a mere 10 weeks. Going back to work was a wrench, and I wish I knew then what I know now about how Chinese medicine can support new mums. 

For starters, acupuncture helps relieve stress by calming and strengthening you so you can cope with the situations that you find stressful. Acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.
 
It is also common for patients to notice improvements with other niggling problems like sleep or digestion, during the course of treatments.
 
Click here to see the research evidence for stress and anxiety.

Tess has lost it, you say. Family and digestion? Don't you mean family and food? Bear with me a moment, there is some logic to this.

It seems a distant memory now that I am up to my neck in essays and final exam preparations, but my son B and I had a great Easter travelling to the US (Tennessee! Alabama!) to visit my family, whom I hardly see these days. The last time that my siblings, my mum, and I were all together was eight years ago. That was way before I had any inkling that I would be studying Chinese medicine in my 40s and trying to engineer such a radical career shift. It was great to see everyone and to finally meet all my nieces and nephew, which is what I expected. But what I didn't expect is that with my acupuncturist hat on, I now had a profoundly different -- and privileged -- insight into my family.

For example, cancer runs in my father's side. My wonderful dad died of pancreatic cancer in his 40s, while his older sister, my lovely and wacky auntie, died of bowel cancer in her 50s. It is no secret why I want to specialise in using acupuncture to support cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment! 

In Chinese medicine, cancer often occurs against a background of Spleen Qi Deficiency. Spleen is the organ responsible for efficient digestion, to extract nutrients and energy from food. When we have strong digestive qi, we can do this efficiently. If we have weak digestive qi, we will struggle to break down food and absorb it. This undigested food will turn to Phlegm, which contributes to many kinds of cancer. (The ancient Chinese  viewed what we call tumours as a kind of Phlegm build-up.)

How do we strengthen our digestive qi? Less meat and more vegetables for starters -- they say that your plate should contain all the colours of the rainbow, meaning having lots of different vegetables and fruit. When you're eating, sit down and enjoy your meal, rather than multi-tasking and trying to work/watch TV/read newspaper at the same time. The digestive system likes warm food, so avoid cold foods coming straight from the refrigerator, especially if you live in a cold climate. My son and husband don't like this dietary advice because they adore their Haagen-Dazs cookies and cream and ice-cold drinks. But try to minimise this and your digestive system will be happier for it.

Above all, enjoy eating and sharing meals with your loved ones. So glad I did plenty of this while away. Now it's time to finish that paper on acupuncture and lymphoedema, and start revising for the biomed exam. I am so very near the end of Year 3!