Anxiety shadows almost every person struggling to conceive. Additionally having fertility treatment like IVF is emotionally tough for most. With anxious thoughts hammering your mind and body, stress can turn into white noise. And eventually you may stop noticing those tense shoulders, increased heart rate, shallow breathing. If you stopped being aware of it, anxiety […]
This is a recent study on acupuncture and IVF. And the difference is striking. 63.9% of women in the acupuncture group had the positive pregnancy hormone HCG test. While, IVF only group that number was 33.3%. Furthermore, women who had acupuncture had a higher clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy and live birth rate. Not to mention […]
Can fertility acupuncture help depression? Sounds like it has nothing to do with each other. But let’s have a closer look. Relax and it will happen, they say. Does your stress cause infertility or does the emotional rollercoaster of not being able to conceive lead to stress and depression? Stress and infertility – a classic […]
In this post, we’ll discuss the article published in JAMA “The Effects of Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture on Live Birth Rates Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization” (1). I know, these comments may include technical jargon, which may be hard to understand for a lay person. This post is mostly for healthcare providers helping them […]
Our patients often ask how acupuncture boosts fertility. One of the ways is by reducing inflammation in the reproductive system. I recently came across this little study showing acupuncture’s anti-inflammatory effects for pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is acute inflammation in your reproductive organs. It is a complication often caused by STIs, like chlamydia or […]
How many acupuncture treatments do you need to improve IVF outcomes? Our own analysis of IVF acupuncture studies has shown that the treatment protocol for IVF patients needs to take into account your specific situation. Furthermore, the results can be significantly improved when we use the comprehensive approach of TCM diagnosis and make use of […]
Unexplained infertility probably is the most heartbreaking diagnosis. Not knowing why you can’t get pregnant is frustrating. The principal treatments for unexplained infertility are recommendations for timed intercourse, lifestyle changes, Clomiphene citrate, intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Recently, Lipoidal flushing showed promising results. What role does acupuncture play in treating unexplained infertility? […]
Stress affects your fertility. We can’t ignore this fact any longer. Furthermore, long-term stress can reduce your IVF success. UK scientists measured cortisol levels in women undergoing IVF. They took samples of hair and saliva. Hair sampling allows analysis of cortisol over the preceding 3–6 months. While saliva sample shows immediate stress levels. Results were eye-opening. Women […]
When you decide to have a family, you want to get pregnant fast. How can you speed up your fertility journey? Does it feel like you have tried everything? But have you? Recently I found a fertility acupuncture study from Australia, which has some good tips. What we know about fertility acupuncture mostly comes from […]
In this study, researchers investigated how acupuncture influenced ovarian reserve in women who had low ovarian reserve or “very few eggs left”. They used a kind of acupuncture with no needles, where very gentle electric impulses are used to stimulate acupuncture points. This study has shown improved the hormone levels including Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH). AMH […]
Hyperprolactinemia can be a significant obstacle for women trying to get pregnant, and reproductive acupuncture may be one way to address the condition in some women. Previous research has shown that acupuncture influences prolactin levels in women undergoing IVF. We have studies showing acupuncture can reduce prolactin levels (auricular acupuncture using NADA protocol). This […]
Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion on reproductive endocrine function in male rats with partial androgen deficiency. Ren Y1, Yang X1, Zhang Y2, Wang Y1, Li X1. Author information Abstract OBJECTIVES: Partial androgen deficiency of the aging male (PADAM) is characterised by a deficiency in serum androgen levels. Both electroacupuncture (EA) and mild moxibustion […]
Impact of whole systems traditional Chinese medicine on in-vitro fertilization outcomes. Hullender Rubin LE, Opsahl MS, Wiemer KE, Mist SD, Caughey AB. Abstract Patients undergoing IVF may receive either acupuncture or whole-systems traditional Chinese medicine (WS-TCM) as an adjuvant IVF treatment. WS-TCM is a complex intervention that can include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary, lifestyle […]
Can acupuncture help 35+ year old pregnant women reduce pregnancy risks? Women of this age, are a high risk for developing stillbirth and fetal growth restriction among other complications. This study, published in Journal of Physiology, researchers from the University of Manchester, UK concluded that the blood flow to placenta may be the reason for […]
Acupuncture helps to normalise both ovarian volume and AMH in PCOS patients. These changes are beneficial for fertility. Both acupuncture and exercise help to normalise overactive sympathetic nervous system in PCOS patients. Acupuncture, however, is much more effective. Furthermore, as shown by this study, exercise has no effect on AMH nor ovarian volume.
PCOS can improve with acupuncture treatment. More research looks into the mechanism of it. One of the lead researchers in PCOS and acupuncture Dr Elisabet Stener-Victorin from Sweden has long suspected that acupuncture may play a role in regulating blood glucose levels and helping with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is one of the features of PCOS. This […]
Polyps and fibroids will often be surgically removed if they obstruct the chances of embryo implanting. Sometimes surgery is not the desired option. We can use Chinese fertility herbs attempting to shrink the fibroids. This study shows this can be worth a try, especially if the fibroids are small.
This study shows acupuncture in IVF patients decreases the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation. And while it has some limitations, we need to take the results into account while choosing the right acupuncture protocol for each IVF patient. The study was published in Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine. [Effect of electro-acupuncture on clinical […]
IVF Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) patients benefit from Acupuncture. This helps us understand how Acupuncture benefits fertility. Electro stimulation on acupuncture points leading to the IVF transfer improves the quality/receptivity of the uterine lining. A study published in the latest issue of peer-reviewed British Medical Journal (Acupuncture in Medicine) found the rates of embryo implantation, clinical pregnancy […]
Impact of stress on female infertility and pregnancy has been well documented. Below study, published in the journal of Fertility and Sterility, shows male reproductive health is similarly affected by it. The researchers are confident the correlation between stress and sperm parameters is clear. Acupuncture has been shown to improve sperm quality, it has also […]