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You might have seen photos of people with needles in their skin and thought to yourself, “what exactly is going on here?” Well, acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves strategically inserting very thin needles into specific places on your body. For centuries, this technique has been used to relieve pain and discomfort associated with various conditions and diseases.
By inserting needles into specific meridians or pathways in the body, acupuncture can bring energy flow to certain areas and restore balance. Acupuncture can also boost the body’s natural painkillers by stimulating specific nerves, muscles and tissues.
In addition to the already established evidence-based benefits of acupuncture, including pain relief, rebalancing energy, relieving stress and anxiety, and resolving chronic issues, it’s becoming more and more common to have acupuncture to help fertility. There is now good scientific evidence to support acupuncture and IVF, and acupuncture and fertility outcomes too.
Our Melbourne acupuncturists are highly experienced in supporting people with fertility concerns, including IVF support, reproductive acupuncture and for issues that can present during early pregnancy.
A 2019 review on acupuncture and IVF describes the effects of acupuncture on increasing rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth outcomes. In this review by Australian researcher Caroline Smith et al., these were a few of the main findings:
The results that Smith observed in this study may have been from the effects of acupuncture on stress relief and psychosocial benefits. The non-needling benefits of acupuncture treatment (the holistic nature of consultation with palpation, education, self-care and diagnosis etc) are discussed too.
The study encourages women who are undergoing IVF to support their attempts of having a baby with acupuncture fertility treatments. The researchers further state that acupuncture remains a low risk intervention that women should know about to support their IVF attempts.
While the end goal is to help our patients fall pregnant, there are various additional benefits of acupuncture that can help with the IVF process too. Regular acupuncture with our practitioners, skilled in working with IVF patients, can provide the support you need to navigate your experience as seamlessly as possible. Some of the benefits that our patients who are also undergoing IVF treatment often report on include:
Here at Fertile Ground Health Group, our team of Melbourne acupuncturists specialising in fertility have treated many patients with fertility issues, so you can be sure of the therapeutic value and safety of the treatments we provide. The majority of our patients incorporate acupuncture for fertility into their usual treatments, while others also choose to use Chinese herbal medicine. However, the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in combination with your acupuncture fertility treatment is not mandatory.
Reproductive acupuncture can help at any stage while you are trying to conceive, including supporting healthy preconception care and hormonal health in the months leading up to trying for the first time.
If you’re having IVF treatments, we recommend booking an appointment for the day of your embryo transfer. So much can be achieved through regular acupuncture in the weeks and months preceding and following IVF embryo transfer. This is why we generally suggest that our patients come in:
In this review of all of the latest and relevant evidence (published in Jan 2019) about acupuncture and IVF from English speaking publications by Australian researcher Caroline Smith et al. she concludes that:
Smith also mentions how acupuncture may be working via the stress relieving and psychosocial benefits with a significant anxiolytic effect reported and potential beneficial effects such as increase in uterine blood flow, endogenous endorphins and cytokines. The non-needling benefits of acupuncture treatment (the holistic nature of a consultation with palpation, education, self-care and diagnosis etc) are discussed too.
Smith further states that acupuncture remains a low risk intervention that women should know about to support their IVF attempts at creating a baby.
Also, the British Medical Journal has stated “that adding acupuncture to IVF improved pregnancy rates more than any other recent improvement or advance in IVF technology”.
While it is so good to read this validation of the use of acupuncture during IVF, for us, although our patients having a take home baby is obviously a key desired outcome, benefits of treatment are not only about the pregnancy and live birth rates. Reduced anxiety levels and a better ability to cope with infertility and IVF is so important for people struggling with poor outcomes, fragile emotional health, and those doing back to back cycles who need to ‘gear up again’ after a negative result. This effect cannot be underestimated. Sometimes it can be the difference between patients feeling like they have the internal resources to take on the next cycle, or need a break.
Regular acupuncture with our skilled Melbourne acupuncture practitioners can provide the support you need to navigate your experience as seamlessly as possible, potentially with fewer side effects and positive outcomes more quickly.
We offer acupuncture services to support IVF patients at Fertile Ground Health Group as a 1:1 appointment. We generally recommend you come in at least once before the transfer as the follicles are stimulated, one to two times on the day of transfer, and another around five to seven days after transfer for implantation support.
Weekly treatments are usually recommended for acupuncture (and if herbs are being used they will be regularly adjusted as well). While some research focuses on the pre and post-transfer appointment as a key time for treatment, much more can be achieved through regular acupuncture in the weeks and months preceding and following embryo transfer. Once your embryo is safely on board we focus on miscarriage prevention until, hopefully, your positive 12 week scan. If not, we help you prepare and focus on a more positive outcome in subsequent cycles.
A 2015 updated meta-analysis research review suggests that management of female infertility with Chinese herbal medicine can improve pregnancy rates 2-fold within a 4 month period compared with Western Medical fertility drug therapy or IVF. In addition, fertility indicators such as ovulation rates, cervical mucus score, biphasic basal body temperature, and appropriate thickness of the endometrial lining were positively influenced by CHM therapy, indicating an ameliorating physiological effect conducive for a viable pregnancy.
A 2012 systematic review on Chinese herbal medicine for infertiltiy with anovulation shows a superior effect on increasing ovulation, pregnancy rate and reducing miscarriage rate when compared to clomid
Another separate Cochrane meta-analysis review concludes that in endometriosis cases, Chinese herbal medicine may have comparable benefits and even better overall treatment effect to western medication but with fewer side effects.
Further research demonstrates that acupuncture can:
Assessment of the quality of the menstrual cycle integral to TCM diagnosis, appears to be fundamental to successful treatment of female infertility. Our practitioners will seek to normalise and optimise your cycle by working with regular (usually weekly) appointments geared toward optimising normal function at that particular time of your cycle, as well as treating other underlying issues which may be affecting your fertility.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are also appropriate interventions for assisting with sperm quality and quantity issues — with regular weekly treatments (ideally over 3 months) achieving the best outcome. In fact, a study conducted on a group of infertile men showed that those who underwent regular treatment of acupuncture to improve fertility had significant improvement in the quality of their sperm (compared to the group that didn’t receive the treatment). Some of the results from the men who had natural fertility acupuncture include:
Our Melbourne acupuncture practitioners see patients with fertility issues as part of their daily practice so you can be confident the treatment methods chosen are known for their therapeutic value and safety. The majority of our patients will incorporate acupuncture into their treatment regime and some choose to also use Chinese herbal medicine. Not all of our traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners use Chinese herbal medicine, so do check with our receptionist at the time of booking if you wish to use both.
Are you thinking about acupuncture to help with fertility but aren’t sure how it could help you? The team at Fertile Ground Health Group is here to explain it all. With highly qualified and experienced Melbourne practitioners, we are able to offer a wide range of health and fertility services — from acupuncture for fertility to IVF counselling, naturopathic IVF support, pregnancy massage, pregnancy counselling, postnatal acupuncture and so much more.
To book an appointment or find out about acupuncture to help fertility or acupuncture for IVF support please get in touch with us. We’d love to see what we can do for you.
Learn how to practically implement dietary and lifestyle changes to enhance your fertility in this simple 12 step ebook built by Fertile Ground fertility practitioners.
