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Researches Acupuncture Fertility IVF Support

by Almond Wellness Centre | Acupuncture ivf research, Fertility, Research

Reviews of Acupuncture Chinese medicine for IVF Support

The effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019 Jun 14;19(1):131.

Authors conclusions:

Our analysis finds a benefit of acupuncture for IVF outcomes in women with a history of unsuccessful IVF attempt, and number of acupuncture treatments is a potential influential factor. Given the poor reporting and methodological flaws of existing studies, studies with larger scales and better methodologies are needed to verify these findings.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31200701

Impact of whole systems traditional Chinese medicine on in-vitro fertilization outcomes
Reproductive BioMedicine Online (2015) 30, 602–612

In this retrospective cohort study, 1231 IVF patient records were reviewed to assess the effect of adjuvant WS-TCM on IVF outcomes compared among three groups:
IVF with no additional treatment;
IVF and elective acupuncture on day of embryo transfer; or
IVF and elective WS-TCM.

The primary outcome was live birth.

Of 1069 non-donor cycles, WS-TCM was associated with greater odds of live birth compared with IVF alone or embryo transfer with acupuncture only.

Of 162 donor cycles, WS-TCM was associated with increased live births compared with all groups (odds Ratio [OR] 3.72; 95% CI 1.05 to 13.24, unadjusted) or embryo transfer with acupuncture only (OR 4.09; 95% CI: 1.02 to 16.38, unadjusted).

Overall, IVF with adjuvant WS-TCM (Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine) 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.
https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(15)00092-9/pdf

Effects of Chinese herbs combined with in vitro fertilization and embryo transplantation on infertility: a clinical randomized controlled trial.

J Tradit Chin Med. 2014 Jun;34(3):267-73.

CONCLUSION:
Our findings indicate that Chinese herbs increase endometrial thickness, improve the quality of fertility and embryo, and promote embryonic nidation, thus enhancing the success rate of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transplantation cycle. Using Chinese herbs improves the outcomes and safety of assisted reproductive technologies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24992752

Chinese herbal medicine for infertility

Chinese herbal medicine for female infertility: An updated meta-analysis

Complement Ther Med. 2015 Feb;23(1):116-28.

Forty RCTs involving 4247 women with infertility were included in this systematic review.

Author’s conclusions:
Our review suggests that management of female infertility with Chinese herbal medicine can improve pregnancy rates 2-fold within a 3–6 month period compared with Western medical fertility drug therapy.

In addition, fertility indicators such as ovulation rates, cervical mucus score, biphasic basal body temperature, and appropriate thickness of the endometrial lining were positively influenced by CHM therapy, indicating an ameliorating physiological effect conducive for a viable pregnancy.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229914001915

Ovarian reserve

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Chinese Herbal Medicines, Volume 6, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 93-102

Seventeen randomized controlled trials involving 1174 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that TCM was superior to Western medicine (WM) in reducing basal serum FSH level, and the effect was more obvious two months after the last, and increasing antral follicle count. The review also revealed the positive role of CMM as an adjuvant to IVF-ET in improving pregnancy rate.

Author’s conclusions:
TCM, with its unique way of replenishing the kidney, may provide an effective and safe alternative therapy to patients with DOR.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674638414600149

Dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis

Acupuncture normalizes dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9330669

PCOS research

Acupuncture for polycystic ovarian syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Medicine: June 2017 – Volume 96 – Issue 23 – p e7066

We found a low level of evidence that acupuncture is more likely to improve ovulation rate (MD 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14–0.56) and menstruation rate (MD 0.50, 95% CI: 0.32–0.68) compared with no acupuncture. We found statistically significant pooled benefits of acupuncture treatment as an adjunct to medication in luteinizing hormone (LH), LH/follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, testosterone, fasting insulin, and pregnancy rates, but the level of evidence was low/very low.

https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2017/06090/Acupuncture_for_polycystic_ovarian_syndrome__A.18.aspx

Clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine on infertility of polycystic ovary syndrome in the patients with ovulation induction with letrozole

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2018 Jan 12;38(1):27-32.

Author’s conclusions:
For PCOS infertility patients receiving ovulation induction with letrozole, the combined treatment with the Chinese herbal formula for regulating menstruation and removing phlegm and EA remarkably improves the menstrual cycle, reduces body weight and the levels of LH, LH/FSH, T and AMH, improves ovulation and pregnancy rates. This therapy does not induce adverse reactions and the therapeutic effects are better than the simple application of letrozole or the combined therapy of letrozole and Chinese herbal medicine.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29354933

Endometrial receptivity

Acupuncture in improving endometrial receptivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicinevolume 19, Article number: 61 (2019)

Author’s conclusion:

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture on key outcomes in women with low ER is statistically significant, but the level of most evidence was very low or low. More large-scale, long-term RCTs with rigorous methodologies are needed.

Women’s Sex Hormone

A Literature Review of Women’s Sex Hormone Changes by Acupuncture Treatment: Analysis of Human and Animal Studies.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Nov 15;2018:3752723

Acupuncture articles including analysis of sex hormones were searched in electronic databases from inception to June 2018. The methodological quality was assessed using modified CAMRADES tool. A total of 23 articles were selected and analyzed.
In the results, overall studies showed that acupuncture increases estrogen, especially estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and other hormones. Estradiol level was increased in most of studies except 3 studies which resulted in decreased level or not meaningful change. Two studies showed increase of FSH and LH whereas it was decreased in other studies. Other hormones were mostly increased by acupuncture.

CONCLUSION:

This study possibly indicates that acupuncture changes sex hormone in various gynecological conditions in women.

Male infertility sperm quality

The Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Poor Semen Quality in Infertile Males

J Clin Med. 2018 Sep; 7(9): 239.

To further understand the effects of TCM on semen quality, we retrospectively enrolled patients with male infertility and poor semen quality at the Tainan Municipal Hospital in Taiwan between 2013 and 2016. Semen quality analysis in accordance with the WHO criteria is an essential step in the evaluation of male fertility status. Associations between the semen parameters and body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, duration of infertility, and age were also analyzed.
A total of 126 male infertility patients with abnormal semen analysis were included in this study: 50 TCM users and 13 TCM non-users. The basic characteristics of the two groups were not significantly different.

TCM users account for 92.5% of the total semen improvement subjects.

In conclusion, TCM supplementation may have a beneficial role as improving sperm quality for infertility patients.

Effect of garlic (Allium sativum) on male fertility: a systematic review

A total of 18 experimental studies were included in the study. Thirteen studies evaluated garlic and 5 studies compared garlic effect with adriamycin, titanium dioxide, furan, vitamin E, N-acetylcysteine and cadmium. All studies were conducted in in vivo condition. The results of the studies indicated the potential effect of garlic on enhancing fertility and spermatogenesis, increasing the level of testosterone and improving the testicular structure.

Conclusion: Garlic can increase fertility probably due to its antioxidant properties. However, more clinical trials are recommended.

www.herbmedpharmacol.com/PDF/jhp-5336

The effects of traditional Korean medicine in infertile male patients with poor semen quality: A retrospective study

J Herbmed Pharmacol. 2018; 7(4): 306-312.

Of the seventeen patients who continued unprotected intercourse after TKM treatment, twelve had spouses that subsequently conceived spontaneously (70.5%) within a year after TKM. Two patients had babies after intra uterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), respectively.

Authors conclusions

TKM may provide an effective option for infertile male patients with poor semen quality. Further prospective studies with larger populations as well as randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2016.01.007

Evaluation of the Spermatogenic Activity of Polyherbal Formulation in Oligospermic Males

Polyherbal formulation (PHF) is one of these herbal amalgams that can be used to treat sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction, impotence, ejaculation dysfunction, and hypogonadism. The pilot study was aimed at evaluating the capacity of PHF in enhancing the spermatogenic potential of oligospermic patients.

Authors conclusions

PHF could improve the quantity and quality of semen in a statistically significant manner in oligospermia male adults between the ages of 22 to 40 years, in comparison to the placebo, when used for 90 days, at 750 mg/d in three doses. PHF does also improve the serum testosterone; LH; and FSH level in a majority of PHF treated males, in comparison to the placebo.

The results suggested that the prepared PHF may be a new auspicious novel therapeutic amalgamation, which can be used to improve the spermatogenic potential of many oligospermic infertile men.

This spermatogenic property may be due to possible synergistic action of selected herbs’ parts used in the preparation of PHF. However, further investigations are warranted to confirm and elucidate the effect of PHF on semen parameters.

Traditional Chinese Medicine as a Remedy for Male Infertility: A Review

World J Mens Health. 2019 May; 37(2): 175–185.

Overall, the effectiveness of TCM for Male Infertility has been confirmed by numerous studies, but many problems exist in these studies. The advantages of TCM and the differences between TCM and Western medicine, as well as unsolved problems and solutions, are summarized.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479084/#B55

Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Male Infertility.

Int Rev Neurobiol. 2017;135:297-311

In this chapter we summarized recent development in basic research and clinical studies of CHM in treating male infertility. It has showed that CHM improved sperm motility and quality, increased sperm count and rebalanced inadequate hormone levels, and adjusted immune functions leading to the increased number of fertility. Further, CHM in combination with conventional therapies improved efficacy of conventional treatments. More studies are needed to indentify the new drugs from CHM and ensure safety, efficacy, and consistency of CHM.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28807164

Acupuncture Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis pain – latest research

by Almond Wellness Centre | Uncategorized

PLoS One. 2017; 12(10): e0186616.

Effects of acupuncture for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis – 2017

Author’s conclusions

Acupuncture can alleviate the pain of dysmenorrhoea and reduce peripheral blood CA-125. As a result, the therapy could be applied as a complementary treatment for endometriosis-related pain.

However, few randomised, blinded clinical trials have addressed the efficacy of acupuncture in treating endometriosis-related pain. Nonetheless, the current literature consistently finds that acupuncture yields better reductions in pain and serum CA-125 levels than do control treatments, regardless of the control intervention used.

To confirm this finding, additional studies with proper controls, blinding methods, and adequate sample sizes are needed.

Cochrane

Database of Systematic Reviews

Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis (Review 2012)

Main results

Two Chinese RCTs involving 158 women were included in this review. Although both these trials described adequate methodology they were of limited quality. Neither trial compared CHM with

placebo treatment. There was no evidence of a significant difference in rates of symptomatic relief between CHM and gestrinone administered subsequent to laparoscopic surgery (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.18). There was no significant difference between the CHM and gestrinone groups with regard to the total pregnancy rate (69.6% versus 59.1%; RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.59, one RCT).

CHM administered orally and then in conjunction with a herbal enema resulted in a greater proportion of women obtaining symptomatic relief than with danazol (RR 5.06, 95% CI 1.28 to 20.05; RR 5.63

, 95% CI 1.47 to 21.54, respectively). Oral plus enema administration of CHM resulted in a greater reduction in average dysmenorrhoea pain scores than did danazol (mean difference (MD) -2.90, 95%

CI -4.55 to -1.25). For lumbosacral pain, rectal discomfort, or vaginal nodules tenderness, there was no significant difference between CHM and danazol. Overall, 100% of women in both studies showed some improvement in their symptoms. Women taking CHM had fewer side effects than those taking either gestrinone or danazol.

Authors’ conclusions

Post-surgical administration of CHM may have comparable benefits to gestrinone. Oral CHM may have a better overall treatment effect than danazol and it may be more effective in relieving dysmenorrhoea when used in conjunction with a CHM enema. CHM appears to have fewer side effects than either gestrinone or danazol. However, more rigorous research is required to accurately assess the potential role of CHM in treating endometriosis.

P L A I N L A N G U A G E S U M M A R Y

Chinese herbs for endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common gynaecological condition causing menstrual and pelvic pain. Treatment involves surgery and hormonal drugs, with potentially unpleasant side effects and high rates of reoccurrence of endometriosis. The two small studies in this review suggest that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) may be as effective as gestrinone and may be more effective than danazol in relieving

endometriosis-related pain, with fewer side effects than experienced with conventional treatment. However, the two trials included in this review were small and of limited quality so these findings must be interpreted cautiously. Better quality randomised controlled trials are needed to investigate apossible role for CHM in the treatment of endometriosis.

Acupuncture for pain in endometriosis (Review 2011)

Main results

Twenty-four studies were identified that involved acupuncture for endometriosis; however only one trial, enrolling 67 participants, met all the inclusion criteria. The single included trial defined pain scores and cure rates according to the Guideline for Clinical Research on New Chinese Medicine. Dysmenorrhoea scores were lower in the acupuncture group (mean difference -4.81 points, 95% confidence interval -6.25 to -3.37, P < 0.00001) using the 15-point Guideline for Clinical Research on New Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Pelvic Endometriosis scale. The total effective rate (’cured’, ’significantly effective’ or ’effective’) for auricular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine was 91.9% and 60%, respectively (risk ratio 3.04, 95% confidence interval 1.65 to 5.62, P = 0.0004).

The improvement rate did not differ significantly between auricular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for cases of mild to moderate dysmenorrhoea, whereas auricular acupuncture did significantly reduce pain in cases of severe dysmenorrhoea. Data were not available for secondary outcomes measures.

Authors’ conclusions

The evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain in endometriosis is limited, based on the results of only a single study that was included in this review. This review highlights the necessity for developing future studies that are well-designed, double-blinded, randomised controlled trials that assess various types of acupuncture in comparison to conventional therapies.

P L A I N L A N G U A G E S U M M A R Y

Acupuncture for pain in endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynaecological disease that causes chronic pelvic pain, most notably painful menstruation, as the most common complaint. Acupuncture is frequently used to treat both pain and various gynaecological conditions. This review examined the effectiveness of acupuncture for reducing pain in endometriosis; however only one study met our inclusion criteria.

The data from the included study, involving 67 women, indicated that ear acupuncture is more effective compared to Chinese herbal medicine for reducing menstrual pain. The study did not report whether participants suffered any side effects from their treatments. Lager, well-designed studies comparing acupuncture with conventional therapies are necessary to confirm these results.

Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for cancer palliative care: overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses

by Almond Wellness Centre | Research

Overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses

Scientific Reports volume5, Article number: 18111 (2015)

Abstract

Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) are often used in managing cancer related symptoms but their effectiveness and safety is controversial.

We conducted this overview of meta-analyses to summarize evidence on CHM for cancer palliative care. We included systematic reviews (SRs) with meta-analyses of CHM clinical trials on patients diagnosed with any type of cancer.

Methodological quality of included meta-analyses was assessed with the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) Instrument. Fifty-one SRs with meta-analyses were included. They covered patients with lung (20 SRs), gastric (8 SRs), colorectal (6 SRs), liver (6 SRs), breast (2 SRs), cervical (1 SR), esophageal (1 SR), and nasopharyngeal (1 SR) cancers. Six SRs summarized evidence on various types of cancer. Methodological quality of included meta-analyses was not satisfactory.

Overall, favorable therapeutic effects in improving quality of life among cancer patients have been reported. Conflicting evidence exists for the effectiveness of CHM in prolonging survival and in reducing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy related toxicities. No serious adverse effects were reported in all included studies. Evidence indicated that CHM could be considered as an option for improving quality of life among patients receiving palliative care. It is unclear if CHM may increase survival, or reduce therapy related toxicities.

Evidence showed that the combination of CHM and chemotherapy significantly reduced leucopenia, nausea and vomiting, thrombocytopenia and anemia in NSCLC, gastric cancer patients. It also significantly reduced nausea and vomiting in liver cancer patients. In general, CHM appears to be useful in improving leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia among various types of cancer.

Base on the evidence we identified, CHM may be considered as an adjuvant option to improve QoL among cancer patients.

Chung, V. C.H. et al. Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for cancer palliative care: overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. Sci. Rep. 5, 18111; doi: 10.1038/srep18111 (2015).

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea

by Almond Wellness Centre | Acupuncture research, Women's health

A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hye Lin Woo, KMD,^a Hae Ri Ji, KMD,^e Yeon Kyoung Pak, KMD,^e Hojung Lee,^c Su Jeong Heo, KMD, PhD,^dJin Moo Lee, KMD, PhD,^b and Kyoung Sun Park, KMD, PhD^b,^∗

. 2018 Jun; 97(23): e11007.

Abstract

Background:

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on primary dysmenorrhea.

Methods:

Ten electronic databases were searched for relevant articles published before December 2017. This study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of women with primary dysmenorrhea; these RCTs compared acupuncture to no treatment, placebo, or medications, and measured menstrual pain intensity and its associated symptoms. Three independent reviewers participated in data extraction and assessment. The risk of bias in each article was assessed, and a meta-analysis was conducted according to the types of acupuncture. The results were expressed as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results:

This review included 60 RCTs; the meta-analysis included 49 RCTs. Most studies showed a low or unclear risk of bias. We found that compared to no treatment, manual acupuncture (MA) (SMD = −1.59, 95% CI [−2.12, −1.06]) and electro-acupuncture (EA) was more effective at reducing menstrual pain, and compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), MA (SMD = −0.63, 95% CI [−0.88, −0.37]) and warm acupuncture (WA) (SMD = −1.12, 95% CI [−1.81, −0.43]) were more effective at reducing menstrual pain. Some studies showed that the efficacy of acupuncture was maintained after a short-term follow-up.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs, and the efficacy could be maintained during a short-term follow-up period. Despite limitations due to the low quality and methodological restrictions of the included studies, acupuncture might be used as an effective and safe treatment for females with primary dysmenorrhea.

Keywords: acupuncture, dysmenorrhea, meta-analysis, primary dysmenorrhea, systematic review

Best Acupuncture Protocols for Infertility IVF and IUI

by Almond Wellness Centre | Acupuncture ivf research

From http://www.healthcmi.com

New research demonstrates a consensus amongst acupuncture experts on best practice treatment protocols for acupuncture enhancement of assisted reproductive technology (ART) fertility treatments. ART includes all fertility treatments in which both the eggs and sperm are handled. ART includes in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI).

In this study, researchers set out to determine if a consensus exists on high priority acupuncture points for the enhancement of ART. Acupuncture IVF and IUI ART has been used in the USA since 1981 to help women become pregnant. Although acupuncture and Chinese medicine for the treatment of infertility is a time honored practice, the combination of acupuncture with ART has emerged in recent years as an effective approach for improving pregnancy and live birth rates.

In this study, researchers administered three rounds of questionnaires to fifteen international acupuncture fertility experts to determine if a consensus exists on best practice protocols. The investigation revealed that several key components are central to acupuncture in combination with ART.

The timing of an acupuncture treatment in relation to the menstrual cycle is of great importance. An acupuncture treatment administered between day 6 and 8 of the “stimulated ART cycle” is optimal. In addition, it is ideal to have two acupuncture treatments “on the day of embryo transfer.”

Pre-transfer acupuncture points of high priority are

SP8, SP10, Liv3, ST29 and CV4.

Post-transfer points include

GV20, K3, SP6, P6 and K3.

Auricular acupuncture points Shenmen and Zigong were also determined to be of high priority.

About the Healthcare Medicine Institute: HealthCMi provides online acupuncture CEU credit to licensed acupuncturists and publishes current events related to acupuncture, herbal medicine and important innovations in healthcare technology.

References

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12:88 doi 10.1186/1472-6882-12-88. 7 July 2012.
Development of an acupuncture treatment protocol by consensus for women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment. Caroline A Smith, Suzanne Grant, Jane Lyttleton and Suzanne Cochrane. ?Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2012 Feb;32(2):113-6.
Effects of electroacupuncture on embryo implanted potential for patients with infertility of different symptom complex]. Kong FY, Zhang QY, Guan Q, Jian FQ, Sun W, Wang Y. Department of Reproduction, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of TCM, Jinan, China. Fertil Steril. 2005 Jan;83(1):30-6.
Secretion of human leukocyte antigen-G by human embryos is associated with a higher in vitro fertilization pregnancy rate. Yie SM, Balakier H, Motamedi G, Librach CL.

« Older Entries

Researches Acupuncture Fertility IVF Support

Reviews of Acupuncture Chinese medicine for IVF Support

Chinese herbal medicine for infertility

Ovarian reserve

Dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis

PCOS research

Endometrial receptivity

Women’s Sex Hormone

Male infertility sperm quality

Acupuncture Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis pain – latest research

Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for cancer palliative care: overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses

Overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses

Abstract

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea

A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background:

Methods:

Results:

Conclusion:

Best Acupuncture Protocols for Infertility IVF and IUI

Pre-transfer acupuncture points of high priority are

Post-transfer points include

References

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