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Acupuncture and IVF: Does it Improve Success?

Dr. Geoffrey Sher Recommends

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Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin along so-called meridians (energy channels). It has been used in China for centuries to regulate and treat many health disorders including ailments involving the female reproductive system.

When I visited China in 1987, I actually witnessed a Cesarean birth being performed without sedation, pain killers or anesthesia… using only acupuncture. The mother lay there relaxed, conversing with the surgeon and nurses while the surgery was being performed. It was truly quite amazing. So I need no convincing that this complimentary treatment actually works when used for the right indications.

The last twenty years have witnessed a virtual explosion in fascination with, and interest in, acupuncture (as well as in traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine) in Western societies. The growing fascination and interest in the “mystical” power of acupuncture to enhance fertility potential and its incorporation into the IVF arena should come as no surprise, given the desperation of many infertile couples to have a baby. As a consequence, interest in acupuncture has grown by leaps and bounds in the field of Assisted Reproduction in the last 10 to 15 years.

So…does acupuncture actually improve IVF outcome? Well, those who support its use as a complementary treatment for IVF claim that it works by improving blood flow to the woman’s reproductive organs and thereby improving follicle development, egg quality and implantation. But what are the true facts in this regard? Does acupuncture actually enhance reproductive blood flow as has been asserted, and if so, does treatment actually improve results?

Well, what we do know, based on ultrasound studies, is that acupuncture can indeed enhance uterine blood flow. But convincing evidence that it improves ovarian blood flow is lacking. A few years ago, a Sher Institute doctor reported on the fact that acupuncture administered around the time of embryo transfer improves embryo implantation potential and thus IVF success. Its use during stimulation with fertility drugs has as yet not been shown to improve ovarian follicle growth, egg quality or endometrial thickening.

In fairness… acupuncture is not harmful and most of those so treated swear by it. For the nay-sayers, what can be said with certainty is that at the very least acupuncture has a “feel good” aspect to it and in most, evokes a psychological benefit that should not be discounted.

In conclusion…..I offer my SIRM-Las Vegas patients access to in-house acupuncture. But I only recommend that it be administered surrounding the time of embryo transfer, preferably on the day that the embryos are placed in the uterus. However, I caution them intensively not to have exaggerated expectations regarding the role that this complementary therapy might play in enhancing IVF outcome.

Please note: All SIRM centers currently offer patients access to onsite acupuncture.

Tags: Acupuncture and IVF Outcome, IVF Authority

6 Responses to “Acupuncture and IVF: Does it Improve Success?”

ophilia mbelli says:

February 21, 2013 at 2:44 am

I am a 42 yrs old with one 3 and a half year old little girl. I live in colorado and have not found a Dr willing to do me at my age. I am desperate to have a second baby. can your Drs work with me? I want to at least try before giving up. But I live in colorado

Reply
- Admin says:
  
  February 21, 2013 at 10:25 am
  
  Yes they can! We don’t impose strict age limits for treatment. Please contact the center of your choosing to set up a consultation. Las Vegas is the closest to Colorado. They can be reached at 800-780-7437.
  
  Best wishes,
  Board Admin
  
  Reply
globetrottermd says:

March 9, 2013 at 8:40 am

Email servers appear to be down

Reply
Sandy Sculac says:

April 27, 2013 at 7:04 am

Hi Dr. Sher,

I am writing to you all the way from Canada I am almost 41 years old G3P0. My pregnancies were conceived ‘naturally’ (first one occuring at 39 years of age). Unfortunately, all pregnancies resulted in miscarriages before 9 weeks. I was able to send off my products of conception for testing after the 3rd loss and it came back as a normal female. My history includes thrombophilia (heterozygous for the prothrombin gene mutation) for which I am being treated with Fragmin 5000u and ASA 81mg. My endometrium was also tested and showed that I had a 5 day lag in glandular development (?). My day 3 FSH’s have always been good (5-7) with the exception of last month (15). This month it came back down to 8 and I was given the ‘go ahead’ to start my IVF cycle. I was using GonalF 450u but after 4 injections, I only had 8 eggs all less than 0.3cm and my estrogen levels were 107 on day 6 and 106 on day 8. My IVF cycle was subsequently cancelled. Does my protocol make sense? Is there any other advice you may have for me?

I was contemplating starting DHEA but after reading your posts, I am going to wait to speak to my doctor about it.

Any advice you can offer is much appreciated,

Thank you,
Sandy

Reply
- Geoffrey Sher says:
  
  April 27, 2013 at 1:06 pm
  
  It is impossible to assess your protocol of stimulation with the amount of information provided. It is clear that you have diminished ovarian reserve based upon an elevated FSH (you always go with the highest level) and a poor response to a robust stimulation. I suggest that you have an AMH measured which I feel confident will be significantly less than 1.0 ng/ml.
  
  I would advise against DHEA.
  
  Please go to the home page of this blog, http://www.IVFauthority.com . When you get there, look for a “search bar” in the upper right hand corner. Type the following subjects into the bar, click on it and it will take you to all the relevant articles posted there.
  
  1. “An Individualized Approach to Ovarian stimulation” (posted on November 22nd, 2010)
  
  2. “Ovarian Stimulation in IVF: Why is it important to down-regulate LH?”
  
  3. “Agonist/Antagonist Conversion Protocol”
  
  4.“A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF at SIRM”; Parts 1 & 2 (posted March, 2012)
  
  5. “Staggered IVF”
  
  6.“Embryo Banking”
  
  7. “Egg Donation”
  
  8. “Gestational Surrogacy”
  
  9. “IVF Success Rate Statistics: The Time Has Come to Revise the Present Reporting System”
  
  Consider calling 800-780-7437 or 702-699-7437 to arrange a Skype consultation (free of charge to those who reside in the United States or Canada) with me so we can discuss your case in detail
  
  Geoff Sher
  
  Reply
- Geoffrey Sher says:
  
  April 28, 2013 at 5:54 pm
  
  It is important to understand that at 41Y, only about 1:8 eggs; 1: 16 day 3 embryos and about 1: 4 blastocysts will be normal. Also, you always consider the highest FSH as the indicator of ovarian reserve. Clearly you have DOR and you need an individualized approach to stimulation, so as to protect egg development (see below) and you should seriously consider embryo banking with Staggered IVF (see below). Finally, you need to consider an aggressive protocol of stimulation (I would consider an agonist/antagonist conversion protocol-LA-8)with aggressive stimulation.
  
  Please go to the home page of this blog, http://www.IVFauthority.com . When you get there, look for a “search bar” in the upper right hand corner. Type the following subjects into the bar, click on it and it will take you to all the relevant articles posted there.
  
  1. “An Individualized Approach to Ovarian stimulation” (posted on November 22nd, 2010)
  
  2. “Ovarian Stimulation in IVF: Why is it important to down-regulate LH?”
  
  3. “Agonist/Antagonist Conversion Protocol”
  
  4.“A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF at SIRM”; Parts 1 & 2 (posted March, 2012)
  
  6. “Staggered IVF”
  
  7.“Embryo Banking”
  
  Consider calling 8 702-699-7437 to arrange a Skype consultation with me so we can discuss your case in detail
  
  Geoff Sher
  
  Reply

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