Acupuncture, Infertility and IVF. Acupuncture is now frequently used by Irish women as an adjunct to IVF fertility treatment.  Many women use acupuncture to help maximise their chances of conceiving, either before, during or indeed independantly of IVF. Recently, research has been published to demonstrate acupuncture’s role in helping increase success rates of IVF. The research, which was published in the British Medical Journal of 7/2/08, stated that " ... acupuncture increased the odds of clinical pregnancy by 65% compared to the control groups". The study looked at 1366 women who were undergoing IVF infertility treatment and had acupuncture treatments around the time of embryo transfer. (note: this research does not mean that acupuncture increases the success of IVF by the full 65% - but we don't need to get too 'statistical' here!).  It seems logical to assume that if acupuncture can benefit a couple's chances of conceiving while undergoing IVF, it should also be beneficial to fertility generally.  Indeed, in my own practice more and more women are using acupuncture to help with fertility and fertility related issues without necessarily being on an IVF programme. My own approach is to use acupuncture to enhance the chances of conception by preparing the body as much as possible, in the weeks and months prior to conception. To do this the acupuncture points are selected during each treatment in accordance with the menstrual cycle. For example coming up to the period, points will be used that will encourage the gentle movement of blood and qi (energy), while after the period, points that are aimed at replacing the ‘lost menstrual blood’ may be used.  This approach is then modified depending on the particular imbalances seen in the individual person and her particular circumstances (e.g. perhaps there may be menstrual irregularities to address like heavy or light periods or clots etc.). Other specific protocols can also be used when someone is undergoing IVF treatment. Chinese herbal medicine may also be used. The role of the male partner also needs be taken into account and any of his deficiencies or imbalances may also need to be addressed. This can also be done with acupuncture/herbs. The main aim is to have both partners as healthy as possible in order to produce healthy sperm and eggs, before conception . While I make no claims or promises in relation to how effective treatment with acupuncture will be, I genuinely believe it can be of great help, and I can think of few more rewarding days than the ones when I receive the call to say, "I'm pregnant!" Please give me a call on 086-1556384 if you would like to discuss using acupuncture and/or herbs to help you in your quest. Good Luck. The following is some information (taken from the web) on research that has been done in relation to acupuncture and IVF/fertility. ACUPUNCTURE AND FERTILITY RESEARCH BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39471.430451.BE (published 7 February 2008) Research Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis Objective To evaluate whether acupuncture improves rates of pregnancy and live birth when used as an adjuvant treatment to embryo transfer in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation. Review methods Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials that compared needle acupuncture administered within one day of embryo transfer with sham acupuncture or no adjuvant treatment, with reported outcomes of at least one of clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, or live birth. Two reviewers independently agreed on eligibility; assessed methodological quality; and extracted outcome data. For all trials, investigators contributed additional data not included in the original publication (such as live births). Meta-analyses included all randomised patients. Data synthesis Seven trials with 1366 women undergoing in vitro fertilisation were included in the meta-analyses. There was little clinical heterogeneity. Trials with sham acupuncture and no adjuvant treatment as controls were pooled for the primary analysis. Complementing the embryo transfer process with acupuncture was associated with significant and clinically relevant improvements in clinical pregnancy (odds ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval 1.27 to 2.14; number needed to treat (NNT) 10 (7 to 17); seven trials), ongoing pregnancy (1.87, 1.40 to 2.49; NNT 9 (6 to 15); five trials), and live birth (1.91, 1.39 to 2.64; NNT 9 (6 to 17); four trials). Because we were unable to obtain outcome data on live births for three of the included trials, the pooled odds ratio for clinical pregnancy more accurately represents the true combined effect from these trials rather than the odds ratio for live birth. The results were robust to sensitivity analyses on study validity variables. A prespecified subgroup analysis restricted to the three trials with the higher rates of clinical pregnancy in the control group, however, suggested a smaller non-significant benefit of acupuncture (odds ratio 1.24, 0.86 to 1.77). Conclusions Current preliminary evidence suggests that acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation.   Other studies and research  Acupuncture Treatment Results in Higher Pregnancy Rates for Embryo Transfer Breaking News The May 2006 issue of medical journal Fertility and Sterility presents several new studies that confirm the efficacy of acupuncture as an aid to IVF. Here are the study results: Study #1: Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer (ET) significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial In this study, Westergaard LG, et.al., set out to evaluate how the use of acupuncture effected pregnancy rates in patients treated with IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). 273 patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: One group had acupuncture on the day of the transfer, a second group had acupuncture on the day of the transfer and then again 2 days after the transfer, and a third control group did not receive acupuncture. The results clearly showed that the first acupuncture group that received treatment the day of the transfer had a statistically significant higher rate of pregnancy than the control group (37 of 95 [39%] vs. 21 of 87 [26%]). Comparison of ongoing pregnancy rates also favored the acupuncture group (34 of 95 [36%] vs. 19 of 87 [22%]). There was no improvement on the reproductive outcome by adding an acupuncture treatment 2 days after ET. Fertility and Sterility Volume 85, Issue 5 , May 2006, Pages 1341-1346 Study #2: Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization  and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study In this study, a joint collaboration between researchers in Germany and China, Stefan Dieterle M.D and his colleagues set out to determine the effect of luteal phase acupuncture on the outcome of IVF/ICSI. 225 IVF/ICSI infertile patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups. One group received Traditional Chinese acupuncture and the other half received sham acupuncture. As in the previous study, in the group that received true acupuncture, the clinical pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy rates (33.6% and 28.4%, respectively) were significantly higher than in sham acupuncture group (15.6% and 13.8%). Fertility and Sterility Volume 85, Issue 5 , May 2006, Pages 1347-1351 Study #3: Influence of acupuncture stimulation on pregnancy rates for women undergoing embryo transfer This study from Australia, lead by Caroline Smith Ph.D., examined 228 women and again compared a true acupuncture to a placebo group. The design of this study was to treat the women three separate times: the first session on day 9 of stimulating injections, the second session before ET, and the third immediately after ET. They reported their results as follows: The pregnancy rate was 31% in the acupuncture group and 23% in the control group. For those subjects receiving acupuncture, the odds of achieving a pregnancy were 1.5 higher than for the control group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The ongoing pregnancy rate at 18 weeks was higher in the treatment group (28% vs. 18%), but the difference was not statistically significant. They did conclude that acupuncture was safe for women undergoing embryo transfer. Fertility and Sterility Volume 85, Issue 5 , May 2006, Pages 1352-1358 Previous studies: At the October 2004 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) another study was presented that confirms the value of acupuncture to the success of IVF treatment. The research, done at Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centre in Colorado Springs, studied 114 women undergoing IVF. Half of the women received acupuncture and the control group did not. The acupuncture group showed improved outcome in the following  ways: 1. Acupuncture group 51% pregnancy rate compared to 36% in control group 2. Acupuncture group 08% miscarriage rate compared to 20% in control group Acupuncture also was found to reduce the risk of tubal pregnancy and increase the live birth rate. The live birth rate for each IVF cycle was 23 % higher than the cycles for the control group. Independent.co.uk News Report Below is the very first paper published on this research. It is from the journal: Highlights in Fertility and Sterility (Vol. 77, No. 4, April 2002) Results from a recent study in Germany indicate that adding acupuncture to the treatment protocol of IVF patients greatly enhances their chances of becoming pregnant. While the physiologic mechanisms by which acupuncture may affect the uterus and reproductive system have not been identified, the researchers found that as a practical matter, at least among their small study population, the technique worked. In a study of 160 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization, researchers utilized acupuncture, an important element in the 4,000-year-old tradition of Chinese medicine, before and after the embryo transfers of half their patients. The patients, who were all required to have embryos of good quality, were evenly and randomly divided into two groups similar in age and diagnosis. The group receiving acupuncture treatments had one treatment before transfer and another after embryos had been transferred to their uteruses. Sterile needles were inserted into the patients' bodies at very specific points. According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, energy flows through the body along defined pathways, or meridians. Acupuncture is a means of influencing this energy to induce a desired physiological effect. Points were chosen for these patients along the spleen and stomach/colon meridians in an effort to positively influence blood flow and energy to the uterus and to provide a sedative effect. Additional needles were inserted in the patients' ears to influence the uterus and stabilize the endocrine system. Needles were left in place for 25 minutes while the patients rested. The control group also rested, lying still for 25 minutes after embryo transfer, as part of the IVF protocol. The difference between pregnancy rates for the two groups was notable. Patients were examined using ultrasound six weeks after their IVF procedures. In the control group, 21 out of 80 patients became pregnant. Of the patients who had received acupuncture treatments, 34 of 80 became pregnant. The researchers plan to conduct further studies to try to rule out possible psychological or psychosomatic effects. Sandra Carson, MD, President-Elect of ASRM, commented, "If these findings are confirmed, they may help us improve the odds for our IVF patients' achieving pregnancy." CMT - Dianne Cridennda: IVF & acupuncture Posted May 20th, 2007 by admin Play: Artist: CMT Title: Dianne Cridennda: IVF & acupuncture Length: 13:34 minutes (12.43 MB) Format: MP3 Mono 11kHz 128Kbps (CBR) Found in these audio playlist(s) Fertility Forum Content provided by Chinese Medicine Tools, http://www.chinesemedicinetools.com