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THE ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC 39 WEST STREET MARLOW SL7 2LS 01628 474061
Recent years have seen the publication in reputable medical journals, the results of a number of clinical trials investigating the effect of acupuncture on fertility, often in conjunction with IVF. Some of these trials have shown a significant increase in pregnancy rates when acupuncture is used and others have shown little effect. Most scientists and clinicians would agree that this is still a controversial area and that more research needs to be done before acupuncture is generally accepted as an integral part of IVF treatment protocols. There is a compelling body of evidence however, of increased numbers of live births among IVF patients having acupuncture. Based on their own clinical experience, a number of IVF clinics in the United States consider acupuncture a standard component of care for their IVF patients.
Research and Reviews
IVF
Early in 2008, the prestigious British Medical journal published its own analysis of the acupuncture in a meta analysis of 7 of clinical trials; ie they chose only those which met strict research criteria. The authors concluded, that acupuncture increased the odds of clinical pregnancy compared with the control group providing clinically relevant benefits.And when they analysed the 4 trials that measured live births in addition to pregnancy rates, they found that acupuncture further increased the odds.
Impressive as these results are they may still be an underestimate, since the authors included women who’s IVF cycles were cancelled before transfer. The accompanying editorial in the BMJ makes the comment that adding acupuncture to IVF improved pregnancy rates more than any other recent improvement or advance in IVF technology.
Another group of researchers have analysed updated clinical trial data and have come to the same conclusion as those who published the BMJ meta analysis, namely acupuncture is a useful addition to IVF. It has been published as a Cochrane Review. The Cochrane Collaboration is an international and independent organization dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide.
Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Manheimer E et al. BMJ 2008;336 pg 545-549
British Medical Journal
Many studies have shown that reduced blood flow in the uterine arteries is associated with a decreased pregnancy rate following IVF-embryo transfer. This study reported in Human Reproduction (the official journal of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) shows that after 8 acupuncture treatments blood flow to the uterus was markedly increased. Research carried out by one group of IVF clinics in California has shown that using this protocol to increase blood flow to the uterus, combined with acupuncture on the day of transfer has resulted in a markedly significant improvement in pregnancy rates.
Stener-Victorin E, et al Hum Reprod 1996; 11:1314-1317.
Human Reproduction
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