Acupuncture to Support IVF

For 15 years I have been using acupuncture and herbal medicine to support women through fertility treatment. It has become increasingly common to use acupuncture to support IVF treatment due to the positive outcomes that recent studies have shown. These are some of the common questions I get from couples wanting to use Chinese Medicine along with an IVF cycle.

Does Acupuncture Help The Success of IVF?

Some research suggests that it does. In 2008 research published in the British Medical Journal showed that women doing IVF in combination with acupuncture were 65% more likely to have a successful embryo transfer compared with those who underwent a “sham” treatment or no acupuncture treatment at all. A sham treatment involves needling non-acupuncture points or points unrelated to fertility. You can read about this study here. In another German study, they took 160 women undergoing IVF and split them into two groups. One group combined acupuncture with IVF and one group did not. The group that did the acupuncture had a 50% better outcome than the group that did IVF alone. You can read a BBC article about this study here.

How Does Acupuncture Help the Success of IVF?

Acupuncture has been shown by research to improve blood circulation in the pelvic cavity as well as promote ovarian function. It appears to be effective in promoting follicle production, enhancing uterine blood flow, which can than thus improve the thickness of the uterine lining aiding in implantation. It also helps to decrease uterine contractions after embryo transfer which also allows for implantation to happen.

What is Recommended As Treatment during an IVF Cycle?

Acupuncture treatment timing and frequency might differ based on individuals and different phases of IVF. For some a treatment a week 3 months before the start of a cycle is ideal when there is an issue with low ovarian reserve or egg quality. For others, 4 weeks before a cycle may be adequate. Once stimulating medications are introduced I typically see my patients twice a week.

Should I Take Chinese Herbal Medicine During IVF?

Typically I’ll use herbal medicine in the three months leading up to an IVF cycle, but once the stimulating drugs are introduced, we discontinue herbal medicine. I find that most reproductive endocrinologists would prefer you do not combine them with IVF treatment.