ACUPUNCTURE INFLUENCES FERTILITY In 2001, there was a study conducted by Wolfgang E. Paulus to determine the benefit of acupuncture to assist clinical pregnancy which looked at the success rates of the addition of acupuncture to in-vitro fertilization (IVF). This study compared two groups of patients: one receiving acupuncture before and after embryo transfer, and the other as the control group did not receive acupuncture.
This study showed that 42.5% of the patients who included acupuncture experienced clinical pregnancy, compared to 26.3% in the group that did not use acupuncture. In conclusion this provided initial information that acupuncture may be beneficial in improving pregnancy rates by almost 50% while undergoing IVF. This is an important study showing thed potential benefits of acupuncture and provide a basis for more research. 1
Another study looked at the blood flow in the uterine arteries after receiving a series of electro-acupuncture. The findings of this study suggested a decrease in uterine pulsatility increased blood flow to the uterus and increased the thickness and health of the endometrium lining making it optimal for implantation, thus potentially increasing success of IVF after embryo transfers. 2
1 Paulus, W. E., Zhang, M., Strehler, E., El-Danasouri, I., & Sterzik, K. (2002). Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertility And Sterility, 77(4), 721-724.
2 Stener-Victorin, E., Waldenstrom, U., Andersson, S. A., & Wikland, M. (1996). Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture. Human Reproduction, 11(6), 1314-1317.
