Acupuncture treatments for Infertility: Couple therapy and IVF encouragement

Thanks to these and other studies, it is becoming increasingly common for women undergoing modern IVF therapy to also have complementary fertility acupuncture treatment at the same time. Studies have shown that besides improving pregnancy rates,fertility acupuncture helps patients' better respond to medication and results in healthier eggs. Fertility acupuncture also makes a woman's uterus more receptive to implantation which is one of the major reasons attributed to these higher rates of IVF success.Many women who have had problems withhigh FSH levels or who have had a miscarriage are being advised that fertility acupuncture has good potential as a solution to their problems.

There are several reasons why acupuncture appears to increase the chances of success in IVF treatments.Studies show that manual acupuncture has a positive effecton pituitary and ovarian hormone levelsand that electro-acupuncture treatments stimulate and improve blood flow in the uterine arteries of infertile women. Research suggests that women who choose to combine IVF and acupuncture treatments have more chances of a positive outcome if they undergo their acupuncture treatment on the afternoon before the transfer of their embryos, as well as on the afternoon or day after the transfer.

* Source: Report from the October 2004 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Highlights in Fertility and Sterility Volume 77, No 4, April 2004.