Does acupuncture for fertility work?
Acupuncture may help increase IVF success rates by 65%
Acupuncture improves blood flow
Starting Acupuncture for IVF and fertility – One of the first orders of business in supporting reproduction is to ensure your reproductive organs are receiving adequate nourishment. Stress and/or ageing can lead to a decline in blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. Acupuncture can increase blood flow by slowing down (or “down-regulating”) the nervous system (central sympathetic nervous system) which then causes the blood vessels to dilate. When the vessels dilate, they release a flood of nutrient-dense blood to the ovaries and uterus. Increased ovarian blood flow may help with the response to fertility medications. Increased uterine blood flow ensures a thick uterine lining and sets up an ideal environment for implantation. Better response, better eggs, better lining.
Acupuncture reduces stress
Couples undergoing fertility treatments experience immense amounts of Acupuncture can help reduce the stress. Research shows that when needles are placed in the skin, the body releases its own natural painkillers (endorphins). Endorphins are responsible for the relaxed feeling one gets after a session. It causes your muscles to relax, your breathing to slow, and your mind to calm. This blissful benefit from acupuncture was cited by IVF patients as helping them feel more relaxed during their fertility treatment, and as a result, also feel more “in control.”
Acupuncture improves your odds of having a baby with IVF.
The ultimate goal is to have a healthy mother and baby and to give yourself the best chance of success. In some studies, acupuncture performed on the day the embryo is placed back in the uterus improved pregnancy rates when compared to a control, while in other studies investigators saw no difference in pregnancy rates. How can we explain this? I think we are looking at the wrong “dose” of acupuncture. Just like the amount of gonadotropins is important to ensuring egg development, so is the dose of acupuncture. In my own published research, I looked at five years of data on women who did IVF alone and compared that with women who added acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer and women who had acupuncture during their IVF cycles, around 13 to 15 sessions. The women who added more acupuncture sessions were twice as likely to have a baby compared to women who did IVF alone, and 60% more likely when compared with women who just had two acupuncture treatments on the day of embryo transfer. Acupuncture helped their IVF outcomes. The key difference was that patients received more treatment.
Lee Hullender Rubin, DAOM, LAc, FABORM
Acupuncture for IVF in Plain English
Acupuncture has been gaining popularity as an effective treatment to improve fertility and enhance the success of IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatments. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help increase pregnancy rates, reduce stress, and improve the quality of life for those undergoing IVF.
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves the insertion of very thin needles into specific points on the body. These points are believed to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes and promote overall health and wellness.
One of the primary benefits of acupuncture for IVF is its ability to reduce stress. This can be especially beneficial for those going through the demanding process of IVF. Stress can interfere with the body’s natural hormonal balance, which can negatively impact fertility. Acupuncture can help reduce stress by promoting relaxation and calming the nervous system.
One study found that women who received acupuncture before and after their embryo transfer procedure had a higher rate of pregnancy than women who did not receive acupuncture. The study also found that the women who received acupuncture had fewer miscarriages and a higher rate of live births than those who did not receive acupuncture.
Other studies have found that acupuncture can help to improve the quality of the embryos being transferred. This is because acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus and helps to improve the endometrial lining, which is necessary for a successful embryo transfer.
Finally, acupuncture can help improve the overall quality of life of those going through IVF treatments. The process of IVF can be emotionally and physically draining, and acupuncture can help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also help improve sleep, which can be a big factor in overall health. Acupuncture can also help improve fertility-related symptoms like cramping, bloating, and headaches. Additionally, acupuncture may help boost energy levels and help with relaxation and mental clarity.
In summary, acupuncture is an effective and safe way to support those going through IVF treatments. While the studies are still ongoing and more research is needed, the existing studies suggest that acupuncture can help improve the success rates of IVF. Acupuncture not only helps improve the success rates of IVF, but it can also help improve the overall quality of life of those going through IVF treatments.
FAQs & Answers for Acupuncture for IVF & Fertility
Acupuncture for IVF can increase the chances of getting pregnant for women undergoing fertility treatment by 65%, a review of the evidence concludes today.
They showed that acupuncture had a beneficial effect on IVF outcome. A meta-analysis study by Manheimer and co-worker on women undergoing IVF treatment showed the association of acupuncture at the time of ET with significant improvement in clinical PR, ongoing PR, and live birth rate (21).29 Mar 202
Improved IVF success rates have been shown with just a couple of treatments. However, doing regular Acupuncture for IVF sessions at least 3 months before starting IVF or when taking a break from the active cycles to let your body recuperate, has shown the greatest results.
As for egg quality, acupuncture can’t reverse DNA damage to an individual egg, but it can help each egg live up to its potential by supporting the egg’s mitochondrial activity,
Research supports the use of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer. In a well-known study, acupuncture done before and after embryo transfer resulted in higher rates of pregnancy
You can have acupuncture for IVF once a week leading up to your embryo transfer, so 9 weeks before transfer. During this time you can also optimise your lifestyle and diet to further improve your live birth rate.
Acupuncture for IVF and Fertility – My View
There is no doubt that acupuncture for IVF is beneficial. So much so that patients of IVF clinics often visit Bien Jn.
However I would suggest that if you are looking to have a baby, that you come and see me first, before any IVF treatment starts. That is simply because as a a fully qualified doctor I can decide if acupuncture for IVF is needed or if other factors are effecting fertility. In which case there may also be other solutions available to you.
The best results always come when acupuncture is started before any IVF treatment starts. However in some instances I have seen that Chinese Herbal medicine is more appropriate. Indeed only last week a young lady announced she was pregnant after just 6 weeks taking Chinese Herbal Medicine. She was very happy as she no longer needed IVF. She was also happy that I had told her that in my opinion her request for acupuncture for IVF (6 weeks previously) was a mistake and that she should use herbal medicine instead.
I can’t always guarantee the same success but at least you will have a second opinion before embarking on IVF or acupuncture for IVF.
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