Fertility Acupuncture: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science
Fertility Acupuncture: Ancient Wisdom
The treatment of infertility with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dates back 2,000 years. These ancient, time-tested techniques improve fertility rates and support a woman’s whole body, unlocking her greater potential for health, healing, and childbearing. The recommendations you receive and the changes that you make to promote your fertility will also have numerous other health benefits, beyond just childbearing.
Scientific Evidence: Acupuncture Improves Quality of Life in IVF Patients
In a 2007 study, researchers found that acupuncture may improve the quality of life in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Stress and anxiety is a predominant complaint in women struggling with fertility. Acupuncture excels at promoting a greater sense of ease and well being. Women receiving acupuncture reported significantly less pain, nausea, and stress in the two hours after egg retrieval compared to women receiving conventional analgesia.
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York reviewed recent studies and concluded that acupuncture helps to:
Increase blood flow to the uterus, which improves the chances of an embryo implanting on the uterine wall
Reduce anxiety and stress. The hormones that are secreted during stressful situations can significantly decrease fertility.
Normalize hormone and endocrine systems that regulate ovulation, especially in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Positively affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a key role in fertility.
Regulate the menstrual cycle.
Scientific Evidence: Acupuncture is a Clinically Relevant Adjunct to IVF
In 2008, the British Medical Journal published research, that concluded that acupuncture can be offered as a significant, clinically relevant adjunct to IVF, relaxing the uterus and increasing blood flow for the successful implantation of an embryo within the uterine lining.
Acupuncture and TCM provide a safe, effective, drug-free, and natural approach to treating infertility and enjoying a healthy pregnancy. Here are a few reasons to try acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Acupuncture does not treat just signs and symptoms but instead activates the body’s natural healing potential by treating the root causes that have led to the problem or disease.
Acupuncture and TCM are completely natural. Drugs are never used.
Acupuncture and TCM can be used to strengthen, support, and balance overall health and well-being and, therefore can increase the effectiveness of other procedures.
Scientific Evidence: Acupuncture Significantly Increases Pregnancy Rates and Birth Rates
A recent meta-analysis published in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics included 25 trials that found that acupuncture, across various methods and timing, significantly increased both clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates in women undergoing IVF. The positive effects were observed with different acupuncture methods, timing, and courses, and placebo acupuncture was suggested as a suitable control measure.
Conclusion
With roots dating back so long, TCM and acupuncture have been used to boost fertility rates and nurture overall well-being for many couples. This wisdom can be comforting for women and men who struggle with infertility – you are not alone! As the scientific community looks further into the benefits of acupuncture, mounting evidence confirms that acupuncture and TCM positively impact reproductive health by many measures.
You may also want to consider acupuncture during your pregnancy and birth. According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture has been found useful for relieving labor pain, nausea, and vomiting, and significantly reducing the duration of labor.
TCM and acupuncture are a great choice throughout the fertility journey, from conception to childbirth. For an extensive look at the research on acupuncture for fertility, click here to download a list of additional studies.
Curious to learn more or to see if Fertility Acupuncture might be right for you?
Sources:
Anderson BJ, Haimovici F, Ginsburg ES, Schust DJ, Wayne PM. (2007, June 1) In vitro fertilization and acupuncture: clinical efficacy and mechanistic basis. Altern Ther Health Med. PMID: 17515023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17515023/
Xu, M., Zhu, M., & Zheng, C. (2023, July 12). Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis - Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. SpringerLink. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00404-023-07142-1
Manheimer, E., Zhang, G., Udoff, L., Haramati, A., Langenberg, P., Berman, B. M., & Bouter, L. M. (2008, March 6). Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Medcial Journal. www.bmj.com/content/336/7643/545?eaf=
Curtis, P., Remy R Coeytaux, and Patrice Hapke. (2006, January) Acupuncture for Birth Preparation and Delivery: How Investigating Mechanisms of Action Can Generate Research. Complementary Health Practice Review. doi.org/10.1177/1533210106298060