Acupuncture for fertility gains its popularity worldwide due to its effectiveness in improving IVF success rates due to recent studies. The clinical efficacy of acupuncture has been increasingly studied and recognized through many modern researches in the recent years. Many Reproductive Endocrinologists are encouraging their patients to receive acupuncture prior to and post embryo transfer in order to improve the success rate of IVF and other ART procedures.
Acupuncture treatment can help to increase the patient’s response to the hormone stimulation. It helps to support and complement IVF treatment at different phases, cycle down-regulating, ovarian stimulation, ovulation, egg retrieval and embryo transfer, while decreasing the side-effects from the medications. In addition, acupuncture provides deep relaxation and helps women to ease the physical, mental, and emotional stress when undergoing IVF process. Herbs are generally not prescribed during the IVF process.
However, the ideal acupuncture treatment should be received three months prior to the beginning of the IVF cycle. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help to prepare the body in the areas where Western Medicine offers few treatment options. Improving the health of the couple’s gametes prior to IVF can contribute to successful pregnancy and decrease risk for early miscarriage. During this preparation stage, treatment for the female patient helps to improve the ovarian function and regulate hormones. Herbal treatment focuses on improving the egg quality and thickening the uterine lining. Any pre-existing conditions, such as menstrual irregularities, endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids , etc can be treated during this time. For male infertility, treatment is aimed at improving sperm count, motility and improve morphology. As with the quality of the eggs, healthier sperms contribute to healthier, more viable embryos.
IVF Acupuncture
