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Acupuncture is a successful tool that treats the root cause of infertility, increases in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) success and prepares men and women for pregnancy. A study published in 2002 shows that acupuncture treatment administered 25 minutes before and 25 minutes after IVF treatment increased success of pregnancy by 15 percent. This form of medicine is being used in numerous progressive infertility clinics across the U.S. with tangible results. Acupuncture, in conjunction with IVF, greatly enhances a woman's chances of conception.

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The causes of infertility are vast and varied. Some of the main factors that may prevent successful conception include: lack of ovulation, poor quality of eggs, thin endometrial lining, poor quality and number of follicles, low progesterone, high follicle stimulating hormone, blocked fallopian tubes, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, adhesions, infections and stress. Modern medicine treats these problems with surgery or medications or both. If surgery and modern medications fail, assisted reproductive therapies (ART), including IVF, ICSI or others, may be used. These procedures involve the manipulation of the egg, sperm or both to increase the chances of conception.

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Acupuncture offers a cost-effective, safe, and comprehensive intervention for women who want to become pregnant. Acupuncture is proven effective for men and women who wish to prepare their bodies for conception, pregnancy, and delivery, even those who have not experienced difficulties with infertility. Similarly, women who do not wish to undergo IVF for a variety of reasons, also choose acupuncture as an effective mode of treatment. Finally, acupuncture can be integrated with ART to enhance effectiveness.

 

Who can benefit from acupuncture?

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Three groups of people are typically treated:

1. Couples, either the man or the woman or both, wanting to integrate acupuncture with ARTs to increase significantly the success rate of conception.

2. Couples, either the man or the woman or both, who have chosen to follow a non-synthetic path toward conception.

3. Couples, who have not officially been diagnosed with infertility, but who hope to conceive more quickly, either the man or the woman or both, who have decided to begin trying to get pregnant.

 

When used as a treatment for infertility, proponents of acupuncture say it can help by:

• boosting blood flow to reproductive organs

• balancing hormones

• relieving stress