[Professor AI Bing-wei's treatment experience of acupuncture for anovulatory infertility]

The clinical experience of professor AI Bing-wei for anovulatory infertility is introduced from three perspectives of zangfu, syndromes and menstrual period in this article. Professor AI believes that ovulation disorders mainly involves the liver, spleen and kidney, and four syndromes, including spleen-kidney yang-deficiency syndrome, liver-depression and kidney-deficiency syndrome, phlegm-dampness obstruction syndrome, qi-stagnation and blood-stasis syndrome are common in clinic. The combination of syndrome differentiation and menstruation differentiation should be adopted in treatment. The syndrome differentiation should be mainly applied. The acupoints for excess syndrome include Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), Tianshu (ST 25), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Neiting (ST 44); while the acupoints for deficiency syndrome include Zhongwan (CV 12), Taixi (KI 3), Ganshu (BL 18) and Qimen (LR 14). In auricular acupuncture, kou (CO₁), wei (CO₄), pi (CO₁₃), neifenmi (CO₁₈), sanjiao (CO₁₇), dachang (CO₇) and shenmen (TF₄) could be selected for excess syndrome, while wei (CO₄), pi (CO₁₃), neifenmi (CO₁₈), zigong (TF₂), pizhixia (AT₄), shen (CO₁₀) and luanchao could be selected for deficiency syndrome. Moxibustion can be added to treat the patients with deficiency syndrome or cold syndrome. The menstruation differentiation could be used as auxiliary method. In the later period of menstruation, strengthening-spleen and promoting-blood method is applied and Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) are selected; in the intermenstrual period, tonifying-kidney and nourishing-qi, warming-yang and nourishing-yin method is applied and Shenshu (BL 23), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Hegu (LI 4) are selected; in the earlier period of menstruation, soothing-liver and tonifying-kidney, promoting-qi and relieving-depression method is applied and Taichong (LR 3), Qimen (LR 14), Luanchao (Extra), Zigong (EX-CA 1) and Xuehai (SP 10) are selected; during menstruation, Taixi (KI 3), Xuehai (SP 10) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) can be added to nourish kidney, nourish blood, promote blood circulation and regulate menstruation to promote oogenesis. In addition, B-ultrasonography can be used to monitor ovulation and guide intercourse to improve pregnancy rate.