Table of Centents
For centuries, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have been trusted remedies for infertility. Today, they’re gaining recognition as adjunctive therapies alongside IVF treatments.
New Study
A recent study published in a leading scientific journal (the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics) has highlighted the positive effects of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The comprehensive review and meta-analysis, conducted by researchers Menghao Xu, Mengdi Zhu, and Cuihong Zheng, analyzed data from 25 trials involving a total of 4,757 participants.
Research Objective
The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of acupuncture on IVF outcomes. The researchers performed a meticulous search of various digital databases, including Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. They also reviewed the reference lists of relevant documents to ensure a comprehensive analysis. Furthermore, the included studies underwent a rigorous assessment for biases based on established guidelines.
Key Findings
The analysis revealed promising outcomes. Acupuncture groups showed significantly higher clinical pregnancy and live birth rates compared to control groups. The pooled data highlighted a clear advantage: acupuncture groups achieved a 43.6% clinical pregnancy rate and a 38.0% live birth rate, compared to 33.2% and 28.7% respectively in control groups.
Implications
Different acupuncture methods, timing of sessions, and treatment frequency positively influenced IVF outcomes. These findings underscore acupuncture’s potential to enhance IVF success and its validity as a complementary therapy.
“These findings suggest that acupuncture can play a significant role in improving pregnancy outcomes for women undergoing IVF,” explained the researchers. They also noted that placebo acupuncture was identified as a viable control measure, ensuring the validity of future studies.
Almond Wellness Centre Approaches
Dr Zeng in the IVF clinic
In light of these findings, Almond Wellness Centre, as the premier acupuncture Chinese medicine clinic in Fertility IVF acupuncture in Melbourne, places a strong emphasis on integrating of acupuncture and Chinese medicine with infertility treatments. With almost 30 years of experience, the clinic offers acupuncture Chinese medicine for IVF support. The clinic director Dr. Richard Zeng, expressed pride in their ongoing commitment to integrating acupuncture, electroacupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, which consistently yield positive results in supporting IVF.
Take Action
Ready to explore acupuncture’s benefits in your IVF journey? Contact our experienced team or visit our Coburg or Ringwood clinics. Together, we can improve your IVF outcomes and bring you closer to parenthood.
Pull quote
“According to the researchers, these findings suggest that acupuncture can play a significant role in improving pregnancy outcomes for women undergoing IVF. Moreover, placebo acupuncture was identified as a viable control measure.”
Keywords
Acupuncture, Assisted reproductive technology, In vitro fertilisation,IVF, Pregnancy rate.
Reference
Xu M, Zhu M, Zheng C. Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2023 Jul 12. doi: 10.1007/s00404-023-07142-1.