Francis Rock DTCM R.Ac. DCH
Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Registered Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist

Acupuncture enhances infertility treatment

The bottom line of a new review of seven studies, by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the VU University Amsterdam on 1,366 women in the United States, Germany, Australia and Denmark who had in vitro fertilization or IVF suggests that complementing the embryo transfer process with acupuncture increased the odds of pregnancy by 65 per cent compared to sham acupuncture or no additional treatment.

Although we do not know exactly why acupuncture is so successful in assisting IVF, a number of physiological effects may be contributing to its effectiveness. One of the reasons acupuncture may have such a dramatic effect on IVF success is through increased blood flow to the uterus. It has also been well documented that infertility causes stress and that stress reduction may in turn improve fertility. The use of acupuncture for reducing anxiety and stress possibly through its sympathoinhibitory effect may provide an excellent alternative for stress reduction in women undergoing infertility treatment especially as the side effects of anti-depressant drugs on infertility treatment outcomes are unknown.

Infertility treatment • Acupuncture for Infertility • Infertility clinic location • New in Infertility treatment