Acupuncture for Fertility
Incorporating acupuncture as an integrative modality is a safe, natural and effective way to support your efforts in growing your family. UH Connor Whole Health’s board-certified fertility acupuncturist works side-by-side with the UH Fertility Center to address your fertility concerns as a multidisciplinary team.
Who Can Acupuncture Support?
Acupuncture can help treat a variety of disorders to improve fertility:
- Female Infertility (hormonal imbalances, uterine lining problems, recurrent miscarriage, autoimmune, advanced maternal age, diminished ovarian reserve)
- Menstrual disorders (absence of periods, painful periods, heavy bleeding, irregular periods, PMS)
- Male Infertility (decreased sperm count, poor motility and morphology)
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Endometriosis
How Can Acupuncture Support Fertility?
In general, acupuncture helps to balance hormones, regulate the menstrual cycle, decrease your body’s stress response, increase blood flow to the uterus, and improve ovarian and follicular functions.
Ways acupuncture can specifically help with in vitro fertilization:
- Improve the body’s response to IVF medications, while reducing side effects from these medications
- Improve blood flow to the uterus to support a thick, rich lining
- Reduce stress and anxiety associated with IVF
- Improve chances of live birth, while reducing chances of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy
When Should Acupuncture for Fertility Happen?
If time allows, weekly acupuncture treatment is recommended for two to three months before embryo transfer. Research shows that receiving at least eight preparatory acupuncture treatments before embryo transfer yields the best results. New research compared IVF alone to IVF with acupuncture on day of embryo transfer to IVF with preparatory acupuncture treatments.
Category | Usual IVF Care Group | Day of Transfer Acupuncture Group | Preparatory Acupuncture Group |
---|---|---|---|
Number in Group | 580 | 370 | 119 |
Birth Rate | 48.2% | 50.8% | 61.3% |
Miscarriage Rate | 10.7% | 7.3% | 5.8% |
Biochemical Pregnancy Rate | 8.4% | 9.5% | 2.5% |
Learn More about Acupuncture
For more information, or to schedule an acupuncture appointment call 216-285-4070.