Acupuncture and Fertility Treatment

Acupuncture and Fertility Treatment

The Use of Acupuncture during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

There have been many attempts to increase the success of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) through the use of a variety of adjunctive treatments. Over the past few years, acupuncture has become one of the more popular of these treatment modalities. Although acupuncture has been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for 4000 years, it has only been relatively recently that Western scientific methods have been applied to determine how it may actually have beneficial effects on the treatment of infertility.

Research to Prove Benefit of Acupuncture During Fertility Treatment

There have been a number of studies performed at IVF centers around the world, which have demonstrated that acupuncture may have some benefit in treating infertility when used along with IVF. It has been shown in these studies that there is an increased embryo implantation rate and increased pregnancy rate when acupuncture is used compared to women who did not have acupuncture or had a sham acupuncture control. These studies revealed that acupuncture is best used during the stimulation phase of IVF and at the time of embryo transfer. There was no additional benefit found by adding extra treatments after the embryos had been transferred. Although there is still much research to be done, these preliminary results suggest that the use of acupuncture along with IVF may be of value in some women.

Our fertility center welcomes our patients' wishes to undergo acupuncture treatment during IVF treatment. We have our own in-house acupuncture infertility specialist.

Increasing Fertility Success with Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine explains that disease states such as infertility occur when the flow of energy in the body (Qi) is blocked, leading to an imbalance along certain zones or meridians. This imbalance is treated by the insertion of small needles into the skin at various points, which have been determined to be associated with blockages that lead to specific diseases. By stimulating these sites in a particular manner (Deqi), the blockage is relieved and balance is restored. In an attempt to explain the physiologic events that may occur when acupuncture is used, Western scientific methods have been employed to study the effects of acupuncture on the body. It appears that the stimulation provided by the needles most likely exerts its effect in one of several ways. It has been shown that the sensations produced by the needles stimulate the release of substances in the central nervous system such as opioids like B-endorphin as well as Seratonin, which can then mediate the function of the sympathetic nervous system at other locations in the body. B-endorphin is known to lead to the release of additional gonadotropins (LH and FSH), which would then enhance the stimulation of the ovaries with subsequent increased production of estrogen. Additionally, it has been shown that the reduction in stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system may also lead to an increase in the bloodflow to the uterus and ovaries by relaxing the arteries that supply them. This may ultimately allow better exposure of the ovaries to gonadotropins and of the uterus to estrogen. This would augment the stimulatory effects of gonadotropins, which could allow a better response to FSH in some women. The increased uterine bloodflow might result in a better developed uterine lining which could facilitate embryo implantation.

Acupuncture and Stress

Acupuncture has also been shown to relieve stress and anxiety. Women who are treated with acupuncture often report feelings of relaxation, calm and peacefulness or being energized following treatment. Since infertility and its treatment are associated with considerable stress and anxiety, there is significant benefit to be achieved from this part alone. Furthermore, there are studies that have reported higher pregnancy rates from IVF when other types of stress reduction and anxiety relieving methods are employed. Finally, there may even be some placebo effect from the process of undergoing acupuncture irrespective of its true physiological changes. None of the studies has shown any detrimental effects attributed to acupuncture, which could lead to a reduction in the success of the medical treatment of infertility by IVF.

Taken together, if there are potential beneficial effects that can be achieved by adding acupuncture as a complimentary treatment to IVF, then it seems reasonable to include it in the treatment regimen for the purpose of maximizing success. Read about our acupuncture infertility specialist at SCCRM.