Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have issued consensus statements that acupuncture may be useful in improving fertility resulting from some conditions, although additional research is recommended to confirm and understand its beneficial effect fully.
Features
Acupuncture is a part of traditional Chinese medicine, in which long slender needles are inserted into specific points on the human body in the belief that this regulates energy flow throughout the body to promote good health.
Scientific Evidence
Acupuncture has a therapeutic effect on infertility but further scientific proof is needed to understand this effect, according to a WHO review of clinical trials published in 1996. Women who undergo in vitro fertilization treatments and have acupuncture within one day of their embryo transfer were more likely to get pregnant that women who did not use acupuncture, according to the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Specific Indications
Irregular bleeding and the absence of periods may be helped by acupuncture, according to the WHO publication "Viewpoint on Acupuncture." Acupuncture might be a useful way to treat the hormonal disorders that cause infertility, according to a 1992 study published in "Gynecological Endocrinology."
Time Frame
According to the American Pregnancy Association, acupuncture treatments should begin three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization treatment or transfer of a donor egg because acupuncture may act gradually to increase blood flow to the female reproductive organs. If used to prevent miscarriage, acupuncture can be discontinued after the 12th week of pregnancy when the highest risk of miscarriage is over.
Warning
Acupuncture is not effective for treating infertility due to structural problems like blocked fallopian tubes, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Acupuncture cannot reverse the negative effects of advanced maternal age on egg quality, the most common cause of infertility.
References
- American Pregnancy Association: Acupuncture
- "Gynecological Endocrinology"; Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Female Infertility; 1992
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture Shows Promise in Improving Rates of Pregnancy Following IVF
- World Health Organization: Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials
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