Acupuncture and Fertility

A common question that I hear from patients is “What do you think about acupuncture?”  Before I can answer that, I need to give you a little more background.

 What is Acupuncture?

Though its popularity is growing, the history of acupuncture is not well known.  And though it may seem a bit “out there” for some people who have only experienced Westernised medicine, acupuncture has been around for 1000’s of years helping millions improve a variety of health issues.

Acupuncture is based on the theory that “qi”, pronounced “chee”, or otherwise know as vital energy or life force, flows through the body along pathways called meridians. Acupuncturists balance this energy and restore health by stimulating specific points along these meridians with thin needles. Although it has been a staple of Chinese medicine for some 5,000 years, acupuncture has only gained acceptance in the Western medical community in the past few decades.

Acupuncture Increased Pregnancy

In 2002, a team of German researchers discovered that acupuncture significantly increased the odds of pregnancy among a group of 160 women who were undergoing IVF treatment. Forty-two percent of the women who did acupuncture got pregnant compared to 26 percent of those who didn’t receive the treatment got pregnant.

Since then, more research has given support to the benefits of acupuncture for women and men dealing with fertility issues and women undergoing IVF. But, this is not without controversy. And, it’s important to be able to recognize a good acupuncturist from someone less qualified.

Is Acupuncture the Right Choice for You?

A study in Brazil showed an increased clinical pregnancy rate in those using acupuncture with IVF after 2 previous cycles who had not created a viable pregnancy.  The clinical pregnancy rate for those using acupuncture was 36% while the sham group, those who receive “fake” acupuncture was 11% and the control group, those who received no acupuncture was 7%. Acupunct Med. 2013 Jun;31(2):157-61. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2012-010269. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

Acupuncture was performed on the first and seventh day of ovulation induction, on the day before ovarian puncture and on the day after embryo transfer  In the acupuncture group, patients were treated with moxibustion at nine acupuncture points (BL18, BL22, BL23, BL52, CV3, CV4, CV5, CV7, GV4) and needling at 12 points. In the sham group, needles were inserted in eight areas that did not correspond to known acupuncture points.

Acupuncture AND Herbs work

The use of acupuncture specifically for improving pregnancy rates with IVF is still a bit controversial as more larger scale studies are needed.  The above study was done with 84 women. However, in my practice I have seen significant improvement with acupuncture in conjunction with herbs, especially when patient are following my Five Step Fertility Solution.

When a herbalist or naturopath trained in optimizing fertility utilize herbs in conjunction with acupuncture, I have seen a significant improvement in cycle lengths, temperature chart patterns, and hormone levels.

Acupuncture Reduces Stress Relief

Acupuncture can certainly address the stress of dealing with fertility treatments and the difficulty regarding fertility issues in general. There are suggestions that it may increase blood flow to the uterus and possibly to the ovaries as well.

Acupuncture and Male Fertility

Acupuncture has also been shown in smaller studies to help optimize male fertility by showing improvements in count and quality. A study in 2005 in the Medical Journal Fertility and Sterility demonstrates this. However, before I recommend this technique, I would gather more info including the probable cause of the male fertility issues because like anything else acupuncture is not a magic bullet all by itself.

Ask Your Naturopath

I would suggest you ask your natural health care practitioner about whether your case may warrant utilizing acupuncture. I would encourage you to give it some thought if you are having an IVF procedure scheduled, if you haven’t regulated your cycle,  or if you haven’t yet created a viable pregnancy despite following all the five steps in The Fertility Bible at the same time.

How Do I Find A Good Acupuncturist?

Many IVF clinics now have acupuncturists that they recommend but I find the best recommendations are usually through word of mouth, from patients in your area or at your clinic who have personally seen the acupuncturist they are recommending.

Word of mouth is also important.  Ask on forums and among your friends if they have seen a good acupuncturist.

When you meet them, their explanation of your fertility issues may seem foreign to you.  They may talk about your system being “damp” or “congested”.  They may say you are too cold or too warm.  These are all different ways they diagnose in their system.

In addition, it is common for acupuncturist working with fertility to work on the kidney qi but this is not the actual kidneys that they are working on.  They are working to balance the qi in the meridian that they have called the kidney meridian.  It can seem a bit confusing, but ask questions and a good acupuncturist, just like any good health practitioner should be able to explain what they are doing and how it may help you.