Infertility Care
Turn to Acupuncture as an Alternative or Complementary Fertility Treatment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 9 million women in the US are using infertility services. While cutting edge technologies offer a variety of treatments, success rates are still well under 50%.
Research shows that acupuncture can improve conception rates and reduce the chance of miscarriage. Many women turn to acupuncture as an alternative or complementary fertility treatment.
Physician-scientists at Cornell University conducted a review of current research that supports the potential benefits of acupuncture for infertility and found that: Acupuncture reduces the stress hormones that interfere
with ovulation. Hormones that regulate ovulation are stabilized, thereby improving the probability that an egg is released. The chances of a fertilized egg implanting are increased due to the enhanced blood flow to the uterus.
According to a German study in 2002, there was a 50% higher rate of conception when acupuncture was used in conjunction with IVF therapies. An earlier study in Sweden also found that conception rates were boosted when acupuncture was done with IVF.
An article in OBGyn News late last year stated the women who received acupuncture during the stimulation phase of an IVF cycle and immediately after the embryo transfer have a higher live-birth rate than do controls. This study was conducted by Paul C. Magarelli, MD of the University of New Mexico.