Acupuncture for fertility

February 5, 2012

Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine and Infertility

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years to help woman regulate their menstrual cycles. One of the benefits of acupuncture is increased blood flow to the reproductive organs. Chinese herbal medicine can help regulate hormone levels. These two medicines when used in combination offer woman a powerful alternative to Western medical treatments. Acupuncture is most effective for those couples who are experiencing functional problems; such as delayed ovulation, polycystic ovaries, or premature ovarian failure rather than structural problems, like a blockage in the sperm ducts.

When used for women undergoing other fertility treatments, acupuncture has been proven to be especially beneficial. The reduced stress levels that woman experience from treatment many contribute to the beneficial effects.

Recent studies have shown that acupuncture definitely increases the rate of pregnancy in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). A German study done in 2002 tested 160 woman. All received IVF and half also recieved acupuncture. Of those receiving acupuncture 34 women got pregnant, a success rate of 42.5%. Of the 80 women involved in the study who received IVF without any acupuncture treatments, only 21 women (26.3%) became pregnant. In 2006 an American study involving 114 women showed that 51% of the women who had acupuncture and IVF treatments became pregnant versus only 36% of the women who had IVF alone. Also worth noting is the fact that while 8% of the women in the acupuncture group miscarried, the rate of miscarriage in the IVF-only group was 20%. Women who received acupuncture also had lower rates of ectopic pregnancies.