Increasing Success Rates Utilizing Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

How to Improve Pregnancy Rates with Acupuncture

The following is a list of conditions that have been
improved utilizing Acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas, dietary and mind body
techniques to help couples achieve their dream of having a family:

• 
  Unexplained Infertility
• 
  Advanced maternal age
• 
  PCOS
• 
  Recurrent miscarriage
• 
  Primary infertility
• 
  Secondary infertility
• 
  Anovulation
• 
  Amenorrhea
• 
  Hormonal imbalance
• 
  High FSH
• 
  Poor egg quality
• 
  Male factors

Fertility treatments for women are divided into 4 phases with a different emphasis on each phase both with Acupuncture and Chinese formulas.  The phases are as follows:

1. 
   Phase I – Menstrual phase (Day 1 – end of the period, usually Day 5), we help ensure that blood flows and promote a complete discharge of menstrual blood, thereby ensuring a new endometrium with a smooth base;
2. 
   Phase II – Post menstrual phase (Day 5/6-12), we build and nourish blood and essence and begin to prepare the body for ovulation;
3. 
   Phase III – Ovulatory phase (Day 12-16), we help to promote the movement of Qi (energy) and also blood in the reproductive organs, especially the uterus for successful ovulation;
4. 
   Phase IV – Post Ovulatory and Pre-menstrual phase (Day 17 to the period), we help to increase Yang, which is analogous to progesterone to warm the uterus and also move Qi to help eliminate PMS symptoms.  Moving Qi also helps the fertilized embryo move through the fallopian tubes to implant into the uterus. 

Acupuncture for IVF/IUI cycles, Frozen Embryo Transfer and Donor Egg Preparation:

Did you know the average success rate for women undergoing Reproductive Therapy for IVF is largely determined by age?  Below are the average success rates of doing one IVF cycle:

• 28% for women 35-37 years of age
• 
  24% for women 38-39 years of age
• 
  11% for women 40-42 years of age[i]

Studies have been shown to increase these percentages, hence increasing the success rates at these Reproductive clinics.  Most if not all reproductive clinics now recommend Acupuncture to their patients during their IVF cycles.  It benefits not only the patient, but it increases the success rates for the clinic as well. 

Here on the East coast, Acupuncturist typically do not use Chinese herbal formulas while a woman is undergoing an IVF or injectable IUI cycle – rather, only Acupuncture is used to help with the following:

1. 
   Increase blood flow to the uterus
2. 
   Increase uterine lining
3. 
   Improve function of the ovaries
4. 
   Lessen the side effects of the IVF/IUI
   medications
5. 
   Decrease chances of miscarriage

Since Chinese herbal formulas are not used with IVF medications, it is recommended that a woman, if at all possible, undergo 3 months of acupuncture and herbal formulas to increase her success rates if and when they do start IVF.  Many women have become pregnant during that time and never needed to go the IUI/IVF route.  Even a month before is very beneficial.

A recent study shows that using TCM and Acupuncture over a 4 month period can improve pregnancy rates 2 fold over rates achieved with fertility drugs or in-vitro fertilization (IVF).  Additionally, the study showed inter-uterine insemination (IUI) success rates increased by 50%. [1] 

 All Acupuncture and Chinese Medical fertility treatments are aimed at “enhancing fertility.” The only women that are trulyseen as infertile are those whose fallopian tubes are completely block, have had a hysterectomy or are all through with
menopause.  According to Chinese Medicine when nutritional and emotional statuses are dealt with, blood flow to the reproductive organs is increased and hormones are balanced – the fertility solutions innate in our bodies are restored and conception is achieved.

By Deborah Waddell, Dipl. Ac., LAc

Director of Skylands Acupuncture

[1]
Ried K, Stuart. Complement Ther Med (2011) Article in press, Complimentary
Therapies in Medicine

[i]
IVF Introduction, NHS Choices, http://www.nhs.uk.