Acupuncture seems to be one of those things where IYKYK (aka if you know you know).
I often get asked if it can help with this or that, and most times the answer is… it’s likely not going to do it any harm! There’s plenty of research which suggests that it can help with so many things - a big one being fertility. So when I was recently asked if a patient should have acupuncture during her IVF cycle (something I thought that everyone knew), I realised it was worthy of a post!
How can acupuncture help during an IVF cycle?
1. Reducing stress and anxiety: If you’ve ever been through it, you know what a head mess IVF treatment can be. It’s stressful, it’s emotional, and highly anxiety provoking. And that’s before you’ve even started the hormones!
A huge plus is that acupuncture has been shown to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety levels, both during IVF treatment and in the general population. A recent 2021 study (1) found that acupuncture significantly reduced the stress levels in women undergoing IVF cycles, in one group who received twice weekly treatments for 4 weeks during their cycle, compared to the control group. Additionally, the acupuncture group had higher rates of pregnancy and live births.
2. Improving blood flow to the uterus: Acupuncture has been shown to increase blood flow to the uterus, which can help to improve the uterine lining and increase the chances of implantation (2).
3. Regulating hormone levels: Acupuncture has been shown to regulate the levels of hormones - which is a must for successful IVF. Hormone levels such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol were shown to all be improved in a 2018 study (3), with this improvement being associated with higher pregnancy rates.
4. Improving embryo quality: Yep, a 2016 study (4) found that women who received acupuncture during their IVF cycle had significantly higher rates of high-quality embryos than those who did not receive acupuncture.
There’s always more thorough research that needs to applied before definitive answers can be achieved, and it’s always a tricky endeavour finding high quality trials and studies due to the highly unique and individualised nature of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. However, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that acupuncture can be a safe and effective addition to an IVF cycle. And it’s pretty clear that various aspects of fertility - such as hormonal balance, uterine blood flow, and egg quality - may be improved which in turn may contribute to improved IVF outcomes.
It’s an exciting field, and it’s well worth booking in for some treatments during your next cycle!
Going through IVF right now?
Sources:
1. Chen, Y., Lin, Z., Tang, Y., Huang, X., Li, X., Zhang, Y., ... & Zhou, X. (2021). Acupuncture reduces anxiety and depression in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a prospective, randomized, controlled study. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 14(1), 7-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jams.2020.06.004.
2. Zhong, Y., Liang, Y., Chen, M., & Wang, J. (2018). Acupuncture improves uterine blood flow and menstrual bleeding in unexplained infertility. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 41, 169-174. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.10.001.
3. Zheng, Y., Feng, X., Han, Y., Du, J., & Guo, X. (2018). Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, 1-17. doi: 10.1155/2018/9658602.
4. Zheng, C. H., Huang, G. Y., Zhang, M. M., Wang, W., & Zhou, Q. H. (2016). Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 9(5), 227-233. doi: 10.1016/j.jams.2016.05.002.