IVF And Acupuncture

Many couple and single individuals are employing the Assisted Reproductive Therapies (ART) of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra-uterine insemination (IUI). The addition of Chinese medicine and acupuncture to these therapies greatly improves the success of a pregnancy. For patients who are using reproductive technologies (ART), acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help in several ways.

• Improve thickness of the uterine lining
• Improve the quality and quantity of follicles
• Modulate side effects of fertility medications
• Reduce stress
• Decrease the chance of miscarriage

In one study completed 2002, acupuncture was performed in 80 patients 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer. One hundred sixty women were divided in two group of which 80 received acupuncture pre and post embryo transfer and 80 did not. The results showed that 34 women who did acupuncture pre and post IVF embryo transfer got pregnant with a success rate of 42.5% (1). Of the 80 women involved in the study who received IVF without any acupuncture treatments, only 21 women (26.3%) became pregnant (1). Acupuncture pre and post embryo transfer can increase success and should be strongly considered if you are using ART. Reference: (1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11937123