Acupuncture and Your Fertility

Acupuncture and IVF is a proven technique to help in conception.Whether you have been having trouble conceiving a baby, or suffering from repeated miscarriages, acupuncture and herbal medicines can help increase your fertility.  Acupuncture is a powerful and gentle treatment which has helped countless men and women with a wide range of fertility concerns. It can either be used as the main therapy, or as support for treatments like IVF, IUI, and ICSI.
Dr Fiona McCulloch is our fertility specialist at White Lotus and can advise you on how this program can help you to conceive.  You can contact her for more information.


Acupuncture and fertility in women

A recent analysis of seven studies done on the topic of IVF found that the odds of conceiving went up about 65 percent for women receiving acupuncture compared to those who did not2. In 2002, a study out of Germany on women undergoing IVF reported that 42 percent of the women who received acupuncture got pregnant, compared to 26 percent who did not receive acupuncture treatment3.

Many conditions can interfere with fertility for women including:

  • hormonal imbalances
  • luteal phase defect
  • disorders of ovulation
  • poor follicle/endometrial quality
  • immunological factors
  • inflammation of pelvic organs
  • Endometriosis
  • polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • fallopian tube blockages
  • thyroid disease

Acupuncture is an important therapy which can be very helpful in the treatment of the above conditions. In cases of tubal blockage, or other conditions where surgical procedures may be needed acupuncture can improve circulation and healing after the surgery.

Acupuncture is theorized to improve women’s fertility by

  • providing improved blood circulation to the pelvic organs
  • enhancing follicle development
  • relaxing the cervix
  • improving fertile mucous
  • regulating ovulation and the menstrual cycle
  • improving the endometrial lining
  • decreasing overall stress levels.

Acupuncture and fertility in men

For men, it can improve sperm count, quality and motility1,5,6,7. A study done in 2005 also reported that acupuncture treatment was associated with fewer structurally abnormal sperm4, and an increase in the number of normal sperm. Acupuncture is also theorized to balance men’s hormones and reduce overall stress, both of which have great impacts on fertility.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to naturally boost fertility for men and women. Modern research is now indicating that it is also a promising technique to enhance assisted reproductive therapies like IVF. Not only have studies indicated that acupuncture is effective, but it is also known to have an excellent safety record and to be affordable. This treatment will likely have a very important future place in helping many couples conceive the families they dream of.

We offer both a naturopathic acupuncture for fertility program, and an IVF acupuncture support program. 

Contact us to  book your appointment with Dr. Fiona McCulloch and you can maximize your chances of conceiving with science based therapies carefully customized to your needs.

Related Links

Links to Media Articles on Acupuncture and Fertility

  1. Acupuncture increases chances of IVF success
  2. Acupuncture improves fertility in men, too.
  3. http://www.citytv.com/vancouver/news_24196.aspx
  4. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,154472,00.html

Links to research on Women’s Health related to Acupuncture and IVF

  1. Acupuncture prior to and at embryo transfer in an assisted conception unit
  2. IVF and Acupuncture: Clinical Efficacy and Mechanistic Basis
  3. Electroacupuncture as anaesthesia during IVF retrieval
  4. Acupuncture on day of transfer significantly improves success of IVF
  5. Acupuncture improves pregnancy rates for women undergoing embryo transfer
  6. Acupuncture effective as pain relief for egg retrieval procedures
  7. Electroacupuncture reduces pain, nausea and stress during egg retrieval
  8. Acupuncture improves pregnancy rate in IVF and ICSI procedures
  9. Acupuncture improves pregnancy rate in Assisted Reproductive Technology Patients

Links to research on Women's Health related to Acupuncture and Women's Fertility

  1. Acupuncture induces more regular ovulation in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
  2. Acupuncture exerts long lasting benefits on women with PCOS (a summary)
  3. Acupuncture improves blood flow to uterine arteries
  4. Auricular acupuncture is a valid alternative therapy for fertility disorders such as luteal phase defect and irregular menstrual cycles

Links to research on Men's Health related to Fertility and Acupuncture

  1. Acupuncture improves sperm density in men with very low sperm counts
  2. Acupuncture improves quality, count and integrity of sperm in infertile males

 

References:

  1. Edson Gurfinkel, Agnaldo P. Cedenho, Ysao Yamamura, Miguel Srougi Effects of acupuncture and moxa treatment in patients with semen abnormalities Asian J Androl 2003 Dec; 5: 345-348
  2. E Manheimer, G Zhang, L Udoff, A Haramati P … - Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ: British Medical Journal, 2008
  3. Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, El-Danasouri I, Sterzik K. 2002. Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertil Steril, 77(4):721-4
  4. J . Pei , E . Strehler , U . Noss , M . Abt , P . Piomboni , B . Baccetti , K . Sterzik Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.  Fertility and Sterility , Volume 84 , Issue 1 , Pages 141 – 147
  5. Siterman S, Eltes F, Wolfson V, Lederman H, Bartoov B. 2000. Does acupuncture treatment affect sperm density in males with very low sperm count? A pilot study. Andrologia, 32(1):31-9
  6. Siterman S, Eltes F, Wolfson V, Zabludovsky N, Bartoov B. 1997. Effect of acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from subfertility related to low sperm quality. Arch Androl, 39(2):155-61
  7. Zhang Mingmin, Huang Guangying, Lu Fuer, W. E. Paulus and K. Sterzik Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci, 2002