Infertility
The information below
is a compilation of articles that show promising results
regarding the adjunctive treament of acupuncture and conditions
of infertility.
World Health Organization on the use
of acupuncture for infertility:
"Acupuncture was reported to be effective
in the treatment of female anovular infertility…"
"Acupuncture is also worth trying in
the treatment of female infertility due to inflammatory
obstruction of the fallopian tubes, where it seems to be
superior to conventional therapy with intrauterine injection
of gentamicin, chymotrypsin and dexamethasone."
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Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly
improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a
prospective, randomized trial
Lars G. Westergaard, M.D., Ph.D., Qunhui Mao, M.D., Marianne
Krogslund, Steen Sandrini, Suzan Lenz, M.D., and Jergen
Grinsted, M.D., Ph.D
Objective: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture
on reproductive outcomes in patients treated with IVF/intracytoplasmin
sperm injection (ICSI). One group of patients received acupuncture
on the day of Embryo Transfer (ET), another group on ET
day and again 2 days later (i.e. closer to implantation
day), and both groups were compared with a control group
that did not receive acupuncture.
Result(s): Clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates
were significantly higher in the ACU 1 group as compared
with
controls (37 of 95 [39%] vs. 21 of 87 [26%] and 34 of 95
[36%] vs. 19 of 87 [22%]). The clinical and ongoing
pregnancy rates in the ACU 2 group (36% and 26%) were higher
than in controls, but the difference did not reach
statistical difference.
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.
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Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization
and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized, prospective,
controlled clinical study
Stefan Dieterle, M.D., Gao Ying, M.D., Wolfgang Hatzmann,
M.D. and Andreas Neuer, M.D.
Objective: To determine the effect of luteal-phase
acupuncture on the outcome of IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm
injection (ICSI).
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.
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A Nutritional Supplement for Improving Fertility in Women
Lynn M. Westphal, M.D., Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.,
Aileen Sontag Trant, Ph.D., and Stephen B. Mooney, M.D.
Objective: To determine the impact of nutritional
supplementation on optimization of reproductive health in
women.
Conclusion: Nutritional supplementation may provide
an attractive alternative or complement to conventional
fertility therapy.
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Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients
who undergo assisted reproduction therapy
Objective: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture
on the pregnancy rate in assisted reproduction therapy (ART)
by comparing a group of patients receiving acupuncture treatment
shortly before and after embryo transfer with a control
group receiving no acupuncture.
Result(s): Clinical pregnancies were documented
in 34 of 80 patients (42.5%) in the acupuncture group, whereas
pregnancy rate was only 26.3% (21 out of 80 patients) in
the control group.
Conclusion(s): Acupuncture seems to be a useful
tool for improving pregnancy rate after ART.
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Role of acupuncture in the treatment of female
infertility
Raymond Chang, M.D.[a,b] Pak H. Chung, M.D.[b] and Zev
Rosenwaks, M.D.[c]
Objective: To review existing scientific rationale
and clinical data in the utilization of acupuncture in the
treatment of female infertility.
Result(s): Although the understanding of acupuncture
is based on ancient medical theory, studies have suggested
that certain effects of acupuncture are mediated through
endogenous opioid peptides in the central nervous system,
particularly ß-endorphin. Because these neuropeptides
influence gonadotropin secretion through their action on
GnRH, it is logical to hypothesize that acupuncture may
impact on the menstrual cycle through these neuropeptides.
Although studies of adequate design, sample size, and appropriate
control on the use of acupuncture on ovulation induction
are lacking, there is only one prospective randomized controlled
study examining the efficacy of acupuncture in patients
undergoing IVF. Besides its central effect, the sympathoinhibitory
effects of acupuncture may impact on uterine blood flow.
Conclusion(s): Although the definitive role of acupuncture
in the treatment of female infertility is yet to be established,
its potential impact centrally on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian
axis and peripherally on the uterus needs to be systemically
examined. Prospective randomized controlled studies are
needed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in the female
fertility treatment.
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Acupuncture Normalizes Dysfunction of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian
Axis
By
Bo-Ying Chen M.D.
Professor of Neurobiology
Abstract
This article summarizes the studies of the mechanism of
electroacupuncture (EA) in the regulation of the abnormal
function of hypothalamic pituitary-ovarian axis (HPOA) in
our laboratory. Clinical observation showed that EA with
the effective acupoints could cure some anovulatory patients
in a highly effective rate and the experimental results
suggested that EA might regulate the dysfunction of HPOA
in several ways, which rneans EA could influence some gene
expression of brain, thereby, normalizing secretion of some
hormones, such as GnRH, LH and E2. The effects of EA might
possess a relative specificity on acupoints.
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Motility of the endometrium after acupuncture
treatment
Wolfgang E.Paulus, Mingmin Zhang, Erwin Strehler,
Karl Sterzik, . Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany;
Tongji Hosp, Tongji Medical Coll, Huazhong Univ of Science
& Technology, Wuhan, China
Objective: Acupuncture seems to be
a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate after assisted
reproduction therapy (ART) as we have shown in a former
study. Uterine peristaltic waves may displace the embryo
droplet a the time of embryo transfer. To investigate the
possible influence of acupuncture on uterine contractility,
we visualized the motility of the endometrium by ultrasound
comparing two groups with/without acupuncture treatment
shortly before and after embryo transfer.
Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment does
not inhibit uterine motility. Other mechanisms may be responsible
for the increase of pregnancy rate after acupuncture treatment
in ART.
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