The Infertility Cure

January 5, 2004
Lewis, a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, believes infertile couples should turn to Chinese medicine as an alternative to what she considers painful, invasive and time-consuming Western treatments. She first explains, "Traditional Chinese medicine holds that a woman's body must be gently nourished and encouraged to bear fruit.... I have found that most hormonal imbalances (which contribute to 40 percent of documented cases of infertility, yet are considered untreatable by conventional Western medicine) respond to Eastern methods of treatment." In Lewis's experience, women who have undergone three to six months of the dietary changes, herbs and acupuncture treatments become pregnant with no further effort. Lewis intersperses her somewhat technical examination of the program with anecdotes about her patients, weaving in discussions on diet, herbal supplements, acupuncture, older women and problems related to infertility. Lewis writes well and simplifies many complex concepts, such as the theory that there are four vital substances in the body (Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood), and that they're likely to be suffering from imbalance caused by energy excess, deficiency or stagnation. However, she trusts that her view is the solution for all infertile couples. Readers with infertility issues may well benefit by adopting some of Lewis's strategies, but they would also be wise to discuss her approach with their doctors before abandoning their current treatments. 41 line drawings. Agent, Carol Susan Roth. (Jan. 6)

Forecast:
Lewis's unique program could attract an alternative audience, aided by ads in
Health and national radio and television interviews.

March 1, 2004
It has been estimated that one in six couples is affected by infertility today. Having tried several assisted reproductive technologies to no avail, Lewis successfully used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat her own infertility. After two years of studying TCM in China, she established a clinic for reproductive enhancement in Houston, TX, and shares her knowledge here. Following an overview of TCM's basic principles (e.g., maintaining a "balance" of ying, yang, qui, and blood), Lewis presents readers with two questionnaires: one that surveys their fertility history (not seen) and one that allows them to determine the Chinese Diagnostic Category to which they belong; the latter helps readers identify patterns of imbalance. Lewis also describes the benefits of acupuncture, massage, herbal medicine, and a healthy diet and lifestyle. Herbal remedies are listed by their Chinese names, common names, functions, usage notes, cautions, and dosages. Entries are grouped according to the underlying pattern of imbalance. While interesting, Lewis's book promotes a therapy that has yet to be widely accepted by the medical establishment outside of China; the little scientific literature available on this topic is mostly found in Chinese-language journals. For alternative health collections or where demand warrants.-Jodith Janes, Cleveland Clinic Fdn. Lib.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.