Using foot massage to treat Infertility in women

Infertility in women is a reproductive condition affecting women who have failed to become pregnant after living with their husbands for more than two years, and whose husbands have normal reproductive ability, without contraceptive intervention. It may be caused by kidney deficiency, stagnation of liver, accumulation of dampness and phlegm, or blood stasis.
   
Differential diagnosis: Patients with kidney deficiency may suffer from retarded menstruation with discharge of reduced amounts of pink vaginal blood, reduction of sexual desire, and soreness and weakness of waist and knees. Patients with Yang deficiency may suffer from cold body and limbs, cold and pain in lower abdomen, pale tongue with white coating, and deep, slow and weak pulse. Patients with Yin deficiency may suffer from hotness in heart, palms and soles, dizziness, heart palpitations, yellow tongue coating, and wiry pulse. Patients with deficiency of qi and blood may suffer from discharge of pink vaginal blood in varied amounts, sallow complexion, fatigue, pale tongue with white coating, and deep and thready pulse. Patients with fiver qi stagnation may suffer from purple menstrual discharge varied in amount and duration and mixed with clots, distension and pain in chest and flank, red tongue with white coating, and wiry pulse.

Patients with accumulation of dampness and phlegm may suffer from irregular menstruation with discharge of reduced amounts of pink vaginal blood and profuse, white and thin leukorrhea, distension of chest and abdomen, poor appetite, passage of loose stool, puffy tongue with white and greasy coating, and rolling pulse. Patients with cold pathogens in uterus and blood stasis may suffer from irregular menstruation with discharge of dark red vaginal blood and clots, coldness and pain in lower abdomen during menstrual cycle, dark tongue with white coating and ecchymoses, and deep pulse. And patients with accumulation of damp-heat pathogens may suffer from pain in lower abdomen more severe before start of menstrual cycle, low fever, profuse yellow leukorrhea, dripping discharge of menstrual blood, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and rolling and rapid pulse.
   
Treatment
Foot massage: The massage is applied to pituitary gland (4), kidney (22), reproductive gland (36), uterus (50), vagina (51), thyroid gland (12), parathyroid gland (13), adrenal gland (21), ureter (23) and urinary bladder (24) reflecting areas. The foot is held in one hand by the physician, the big toe is pinched by the flexed index and middle fingers of the other hand, the medial side of the 2nd phalangeal segment of index finger is put on the reflecting area, and the thumb is used to apply massage 3- 4 times (Fig. 85).
   
Foot acupuncture:
Meridianal acupoints: At Yongquan (KI 1), Rangu (KI2), a reinforcing technique is applied for deficient patients and a reducing technique is applied for excessive patients, and the needles are retained for 15 to 20 minutes. Moxibustion for 10 to 15 minutes, after acupuncture can be applied to patients with Yang deficiency.