The Latest In Fertility Acupuncture Research
What's the science on Acupuncture & Fertility?
We know sometimes your partners, friends or family have questions about Acupuncture and want to know if there's 'any science behind what we do’!!
We take zero offence at this question (or comment?) and love being able to share GOOD scientific research that supports what we know and do in the clinic. Most of the fertility research is Acupuncture in addition to IVF but it’s the same mechanisms for us with Natural Fertility
Here's the science for you and your curious or scientifically-minded people!
What's a good study?
There are a few things to look out for when you analyse how much you can trust a study.
It’s a Randomised Control Trial (RCT), meaning they test results against a placebo or against standard care.
It’s a Systematic Review or Meta-Analysis (which reviews many RCT's at once).
It's a study that has a good sample size (eg a study with 2000+ women vs 20), and is backed up by other clinical trials.
Why do some studies show inconclusive results?
A Randomised Control Trial or a review of many RCTs is the scientific gold standard for studies.
These studies involve having a placebo (same thing but fake) to test against - but acupuncture isn’t really something you can “fake”.
Scientists have used 'fake needles' or will select other Acupuncture points on the body that shouldn’t be related or have an effect - but may actually be having a positive effect!!
Even if the Acupuncture shows good results compared to the Control (do nothing) group but doesn’t show results compared to the supposedly 'fake' Acupuncture that may still be having an effect - it gets labelled "inconclusive" EVEN IF the results are better than doing nothing.
Aside from stress reduction, 2 big factors in making a baby are good egg quality & good sperm quality.
Egg maturation takes about 70 days or 2+ cycles. New sperm production takes about 90-100 days.
If the study is measuring those who only did Acupuncture at the time of IVF and not much beforehand (if any), understandably there’s a less noticeable difference!
Show me the research!
This Systematic Review of 6,344 women found "Acupuncture improves the CPR (clinical pregnancy rates) among women undergoing IVF."
- It’s even published in the Archives of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Journal in 2017!
This study looks at 1231 women undergoing IVF alone (no Acu) vs IVF and Acu only on day of transfer vs Acu & Herbs once a week then twice a week during an IVF cycle.
"Overall, IVF with adjuvant WS-TCM (Acu & herbs) was associated with greater odds of live birth in donor and non-donor cycles. These results should be taken cautiously as more rigorous research is needed."
This Meta-Analysis of 9 trials found "acupuncture is effective to increase the risk of live births by 30% when acupuncture was compared with no treatment in nine trials of 1,980 women.
The efficacy of acupuncture is unclear, however, and confounded by the need for an adequate, inert control.
Acupuncture does not increase the risk of miscarriage.
Additionally, acupuncture was 42% more effective to increase live births when women had previously failed a cycle, and baseline pregnancy rate continues to mediate acupuncture's effects.
The characteristics of treatment more favourable to improving birth outcomes included more treatments, timing treatments in the period before and on the day of embryo transfer (ET)"
See even more research Here!
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