IVF & Acupuncture

In our new book Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility Dr. David and I warn women not to rush into IVF. In our experience many women who undergo costly and exhausting IVF treatments don’t actually need them. You can read more about our views in this interview we gave to the UK Sunday Times.

This has caused some of my patients to ask me if I am “anti-IVF” and I’d like to use this article to set the record straight and let you know that I believe modern assisted reproductive techniques are truly miraculous for couples who need them. The risks involved are very small and well worth taking when you consider the benefits. At any given time about 25% of our fertility patients are undergoing IVF so here at the YinOva Center we support hundreds of women each year who are using these technologies. We are thrilled when you are successful and happy to play a small part in that success.

Does having acupuncture increase the likelihood of success with IVF?

Clinical research seems to suggest it does. One German study took 160 women undergoing IVF and split them into two groups. One group combined acupuncture with IVF and one group did not. Interestingly the group that did the acupuncture had a 50% better outcome than the group that did IVF alone. You can read a BBC article about this study here. In 2008 research published in the British Medical Journal showed that women doing IVF who underwent acupuncture were 65% more likely to have a successful embryo transfer compared with those who underwent a “sham” version of the treatment, or no extra treatment at all. You can read about this study here.

How does acupuncture help an IVF cycle be more successful?

Here at the YinOva Center we use acupuncture every day to treat those of you who are undergoing IVF and we are proud of our success rates. Our positive experiences are echoed by recent research which shows that acupuncture can promote the circulation of blood in the pelvic cavity and improve ovarian function. Acupuncture may also be beneficial in promoting follicle production, enhancing uterine blood flow and thus improving uterine lining thickness and decreasing uterine contractions after embryo transfer.

How does IVF support at the YinOva Center work?

Whilst acupuncture works for some people straight away, it doesn’t necessarily work over night and the effects tend to be cumulative so, ideally, we would like to see our patients once a week in the two months leading up to IVF. If this isn’t possible, it’s still worth you coming in to see us when you start your IVF cycle. We see our patients twice a week when they are taking the follicle stimulating drugs and we like to schedule a treatment before egg retrieval as well as another before embryo transfer. Finally we ask our patients to come in for treatment 24 – 48 hours after embryo transfer so that we can do an acupuncture treatment to prevent uterine spasm.

Should I take Chinese herbs during IVF?

The quick answer is no. Very occasionally, here at the YinOva Center, we do prescribe herbs for a patient going through IVF if she has a history of poor response to the stimulating drugs and if her doctor agrees. However, for most people the herbs can make your response to stimulating drugs unpredictable and we have found that most reproductive endocrinologists would prefer you not to combine them with IVF treatment.

How can I find out more?

Feel free to call us at the YinOva Center and ask to speak to an acupuncturist. All of us have years of experience in women’s reproductive medicine and we all treat women undergoing IVF on a daily basis. We are always happy to talk to you about your concerns.