Infertility is defined as not achieving pregnancy while having sex without birth control for six months to a year or longer.
Research Concerning Acupuncture and Infertility
According to this study from Tel Aviv University in Israel, women who used acupuncture and Chinese herbs were able to conceive at a higher rate and carry their babies to full term than women who did not use those methods. Some highlights of the study are:
- 65.5% of women who had intrauterine insemination (IUI) with acupuncture conceived versus 39.4% who didn’t receive acupuncture conceived.
- Women who took Chinese herbs conceived at a 65.5% rate and 41.4% carried their babies full term versus the women who did not take the herbs who conceived at 39.4% and only 26.9% delivered healthy babies.
- Furthermore, the Chinese herb group were on average 39.4 while the control group were 37.1 years old.
You can read the article from the Friends of Tel Aviv University website here: http://www.aftau.org/weblog-medicine–health?&storyid4704=1437&ncs4704=3
There is a 42% increased success rate using acupuncture in conjunction with IVF.
- Acupuncture normalizes the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and the menstrual cycle.
- Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are much less expensive than IVF and IUI and work well for couples who can’t afford or are not candidates for these medical interventions.
You can read Dr. Zhang’s article here: http://www.iaac.ca/en/65-962-treating-female-infertility-with-acupuncture-7
According to The British Medical Journal acupuncture improves rates of conception and successful delivery of babies when combined with IVF. You can read the study here: http://www.sinocare.ca/wp-content/pdf/BMJ-rates-of-pregnancy.pdf