Acupuncture and IVF

Acupuncture in improving endometrial receptivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
We found very low to moderate level of evidence that acupuncture may improve pregnancy rate and embryo transfer rate, increase trilinear endometrium, thicken endometrium, reduce resistive index (RI), pulse index (PI) and peak systolic velocity/ end-diastolic blood velocity (S/D), compared with medication, sham acupuncture or physiotherapy. Acupuncture was statistically significant as a treatment approach.
Published on Mar 13, 2019

Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial.
Fertil Steril. 2006 May;85(5):1341-6. Epub 2006 Apr 5. Westergaard LG, Mao Q, Krogslund M, Sandrini S, Lenz S, Grinsted J. – Fertility Clinic Trianglen, Hellerup, Denmark. CONCLUSION(S): Acupuncture on the day of ET significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF/ICSI, compared with no acupuncture. Repeating acupuncture on ET day +2 provided no additional beneficial effect.
Published on Apr 5, 2006

Acupuncture performed around the time of embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Smith CA et al. 2019. Acupuncture performed around the time of embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reprod Biomed Online. 2019 Mar;38(3):364-379. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2018.12.038. Epub 2019 Jan 2. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may be effective when compared to no adjunctive treatment with increasing clinical pregnancies and live births, but is not an efficacious treatment when compared with sham controls. ("Sham acupuncture is not an effective control, because anytime you put a needle in the body you affect a change", Stephanie Gianarelli)
Published on Mar 1, 2019

Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer treatment.
Magarelli PC, Cridennda DK, Cohen M., Fertil Steril. 2009 Dec;92(6):1870-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.10.067. Epub 2008 Dec 31. CONCLUSION(S): In this study, there appears to be a beneficial regulation of CORT and PRL in the Ac group during the medication phase of the IVF treatment with a trend toward more normal fertile cycle dynamics.
Published on Dec 31, 2008

Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study.
Dieterle S, et al. Fertil Steril. 2006 May;85(5):1347-51. INTERVENTION(S): In group I, 116 patients received luteal-phase acupuncture according to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. In group II, 109 patients received placebo acupuncture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates. RESULT(S): In group I, the clinical pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy rate (33.6% and 28.4%, respectively) were significantly higher than in group II (15.6% and 13.8%). CONCLUSION(S): Luteal-phase acupuncture has a positive effect on the outcome of IVF/ICSI.
Published on May 1, 2006

Effects of Acupuncture on Endometrium and Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Wu, Jm., Ning, Y., Ye, Yy. et al. Effects of Acupuncture on Endometrium and Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Chin. J. Integr. Med. (2022). Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture on endometrium and pregnancy outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) infertility undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Methods Eighty-three patients were randomly assigned to observation group (40 cases) and control group (43 cases) according to the random numbers generated by SPSS software. The patients of the two groups received GnRH agonist long protocol as a routine treatment. In the observation group, acupuncture was given at two acupoint groups for 30 min once every other day. Group 1 included Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), bilateral acupoints Zigong (EX-CA1). Group 2 included Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), bilateral Shenshu (BL 23) and Ciliao (BL 32). The two groups of acupoints were used alternately. The whole needling process was performed at the time of ovulation induction until the transplantation day and consisted of 3 courses, while the control group did not receive acupuncture interventions. The Gn dosage and Gn stimulation time, endometrial thickness and type (A, B, and C), serum oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) levels on the day of injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), clinical pregnancy rate, as well as live birth rate were observed. Adverse reactions were also be recorded. All patients were followed up for the pregnant rate 14 days after IVF-ET and live birth rate after pregnancy. All adverse reactions (AEs) of acupuncture were recorded during the trial. Results The Gn dosage and Gn stimulation time in the observation group were lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.01). The proportion of type A endometrium in the observation group were higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The serum E2 and P levels on the day of hCG injection was lower and the clinical pregnancy rate was higher in the observation group compared to those in the control group (P<0.05). There was no serious AEs during this trial. Conclusion Acupuncture can improve the proportion of type A endometrium, regulate the levels of serum E2 and P on the day of hCG injection, and improve the pregnancy rate in patients with PCOS infertility undergoing IVF-ET.
Published on Apr 13, 2022

Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Manheimer E, Zhang G, Udoff L, Haramati A, Langenberg P, Berman BM, Bouter LM. BMJ. 2008 Mar 8;336(7643):545-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39471.430451.BE. Epub 2008 Feb 7. CONCLUSIONS: Current preliminary evidence suggests that acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation.
Published on Feb 7, 2008

Endometrial growth and uterine blood flow: a pilot study for improving endometrial thickness in the patients with a thin endometrium
Takasaki A, Tamura H, Miwa I, Taketani T, Shimamura K, Sugino N. 2010 Endometrial growth and uterine blood flow: a pilot study for improving endometrial thickness in the patients with a thin endometrium. Fertil Steril. 93(6):1851-8.
Published on Apr 1, 2010

Impact of whole systems traditional Chinese medicine on in-vitro fertilization outcomes.
Hullender Rubin LE et al. 2015. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2015 Jun;30(6):602-12. 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.
Published on Jun 30, 2015

Influence of acupuncture on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation when embryo implantation has failed: a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial.
di Villahermosa DI, Dos Santos LG, Nogueira MB, Vilarino FL, Barbosa CP. Acupuncture in Medicine 2013 Jun;31(2):157-61. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2012-010269. Epub 2013 Mar 19. Source: Faculty of Medicine of ABC, Clinic for Human Reproduction, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: The clinical pregnancy rate in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the control and sham groups (35.7% vs 7.1% vs 10.7%; p=0.0169). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, acupuncture and moxibustion increased pregnancy rates when used as an adjuvant treatment in women undergoing IVF, when embryo implantation had failed.
Published on Jul 31, 2013

Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy.
Fertil Steril. 2002 Apr;77(4):721-4. Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, El-Danasouri I, Sterzik K. – Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany. CONCLUSION(S): Acupuncture seems to be a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate after ART.
Published on Apr 1, 2002

Oral melatonin supplementation improves oocyte and embryo quality in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer
Nishihara T, Hashimoto S, Ito K, Nakaoka Y, Matsumoto K, Hosoi Y, Morimoto Y. 2014. Oral melatonin supplementation improves oocyte and embryo quality in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Gynecol Endocrinol. 30(5):359-62.
Published on May 1, 2014

Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture.
Stener-Victorin E, Waldenström U, Andersson SA, Wikland M., Hum Reprod. 1996 Jun;11(6):1314-7. Source: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fertility Centre Scandinavia, University of Gothenburg, S-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden. CONCLUSION: Compared to the mean baseline PI (pulsatility index), the mean PI was significantly reduced both shortly after the eighth EA treatment (P < 0.0001) and 10-14 days after the EA period (P < 0.0001).
Published on Jun 11, 1996

The association between coenzyme Q10 concentrations in follicular fluid with embryo morphokinetics and pregnancy rate in assisted reproductive techniques
Akarsu S, Gode F, Isik AZ, Dikmen ZG, Tekindal MA. 2017. The association between coenzyme Q10 concentrations in follicular fluid with embryo morphokinetics and pregnancy rate in assisted reproductive techniques. J Assist Reprod Genet. 34(5):599-605.
Published on May 14, 2017

The effect of acupuncture on psychosocial outcomes for women experiencing infertility: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Smith CA, et al. 2011. The effect of acupuncture on psychosocial outcomes for women experiencing infertility: a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 17(10):923-30. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may be a useful intervention to assist with the reduction of infertility-related stress. Further research is justified.
Published on Oct 17, 2011

The Limitation of Randomized Control Trials on the Influence of Acupuncture and In Vitro Fertilization: A Literature Review
Wang, Y., Shen, X., Hu, Y. F., & Sodders, R. (2022). The Limitation of Randomized Control Trials on the Influence of Acupuncture and In Vitro Fertilization: A Literature Review. Medical acupuncture, 34(1), 24–33. Objective: Acupuncture has gained popularity among patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, the beneficial effect of acupuncture for improving IVF success is controversial and debatable. Given that different meta-analyses have come to different conclusions, it is crucial to explore the clinical trials in more detail. This literature review examined the limitation of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the influence of acupuncture in IVF. Methods: This review began with 844 studies. The inclusion criteria were studies that had acupuncture treatments in conjunction with IVF. After exclusion criteria were applied, the final number of peer-reviewed studies was 10. Results: There were substantial variations in the results of the 10 RCTs. This seemed to suggest that acupuncture was not effective in conjunction with IVF treatment. However, limitations emerged that might explain these variations in results. Such limitations include timing of acupuncture and point selections; acupuncture not performed by experienced licensed acupuncturists; lack of Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnoses and fixed protocols causing biases; acupuncture dosages; and using sham acupuncture as a control. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for further research into the effectiveness of acupuncture for improving IVF outcomes. This review provides insight into this complex and controversial topic, revealing limitations of the clinical trials that led to different conclusions. If future research can examine acupuncture treatment carefully to resemble real-world clinical practice-having appropriate controls and individualized acupuncture treatments-increasingly positive effects from acupuncture in IVF may be expected.
Published on Feb 1, 2022

Use of acupuncture in female infertility and a summary of recent acupuncture studies related to embryo transfer.
Stener-Victorin E, Humaidan P., Acupunct Med. 2006 Dec;24(4):157-63. Source: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiolopgy, Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, Sweden. elisabet.stener-victorin@neuro.gu.se ABSTRACT: During the last five years the use of acupuncture in female infertility as an adjuvant to conventional treatment in assisted reproductive technology (ART) has increased in popularity. The present paper briefly discusses clinical and experimental data on the effect of acupuncture on uterine and ovarian blood flow, as an analgesic method during ART, and on endocrine and metabolic disturbances such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Further it gives a summary of recent studies evaluating the effect of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer on pregnancy outcome. Of the four published RCTs, three reveal significantly higher pregnancy rates in the acupuncture groups compared with the control groups. But the use of different study protocols makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. It seems, however, that acupuncture has a positive effect and no adverse effects on pregnancy outcome.
Published on Dec 24, 2006

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