Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Fertility
- Focused fertility acupuncture treatment has been found to increase the flow of blood to the uterus notably the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) and balance reproductive hormone levels and improve the quality of eggs released.
- Acupuncture and IVF therapy. Acupuncture can be administered in conjunction with IVF therapy – clinical trails have shown by also using acupuncture it increases the success rate of pregnancy by 15% – 20%.Conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovaries have also been shown to improve with acupuncture.
Female fertility & In vitro FERTILISATION IVF
What should you know?
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis (the highest level of research for evaluating the effects of a treatment) investigated the effects of acupuncture on sub-fertile women during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).1
- A total of 3,188 sub fertile women from 12 randomised controlled trials were included in this latest investigation.
What did the research find?
- Acupuncture significantly improved the live birth rate of sub fertile patients undergoing IVF/ICSI.
Why is this important?
In the UK, the overall birth rate following assisted reproduction is only 21% to 22% (fresh and frozen transfer). The birth rate varies with age and the type of transfer (see Table 1).
| Table 1 UK birth rates per embryo transfer2 | ||
| Age Range | Fresh Cycle Transfer | Frozen Cycle Transfer |
| 35 and under | 29% | 26% |
| 35–37 | 23% | 23% |
| 38–39 | 15% | 21% |
| 40–42 | 10% | 15% |
| 43–44 | 7% | 14% |
Live birth rate can be considered the most important measure of success for sub-fertile people undergoing assisted reproductive treatment.
Acupuncture has been shown to have a significant treatment effect on live birth rates, indicating that it may complement an IVF/ICSI cycle.
Health: Feeling good during Pregnancy – Baby London
- ACUPUNCTURE: ”Many of our mums-to-be find acupuncture to be one of the most successful all-round treatments for general wellbeing”.
- ”Some studies have shown acupuncture to help alleviate morning sickness, reduce back and pelvic girdle pain”.
Chinese herbs have a long history of being used to aid fertility. Over hundreds of years treating different conditions with certain herbs, everything was documented, and through trial and error herbal formulae developed into a system pharmacology – aiming at different targets of the body. There are more than 150 different herbs to choose from; usually a formula is comprised of 6 or more herbs with the purpose of correcting a functional problem that causes infertility.
Every mixture is prepared after a consultation and a careful diagnosis. The herbs are boiled and drunk as tea or powder form.
Testimonials
“I had tried various self-help therapies to help alleviate my back problems and to increase my chance in getting pregnant but had no luck
So when I saw Michelle’s leaflet at my GP Surgery I thought I’d give it go.
Michelle was very reassuring & professional in her manner & set me on a course of weekly acupuncture & later prescribed herbs. She was always friendly and chatty towards me and I can now count her as a close ally. Her treatment did make me fall pregnant which I was ecstatic about. Post pregnancy I continued to seek further treatment and can say that acupuncture has really helped me and would definitely recommend it to others & with Michelle!” .Mina, Enfield
”I visited Michelle after unsuccessfully trying to conceive.I was some way down the road of having IVF treatments, and had suffered two miscarriages. Quite apart from the acupuncture itself, which I found very calming and relaxing, Michelle was a wonderful person to talk to and was very familiar with the whole IVF process. She was able to tailor our sessions to suit each stage of IVF preparation. When I was lucky enough to become pregnant with twins. I am in no doubt that Michelle’s acupuncture treatments were a huge factor in conceiving after all this time and during my pregnancy were beneficial not only for my boys but for me as well. Anne, Crouch End. London N8
“Michelle is an absolute miracle worker and I cannot recommend her highly enough! I first saw Michelle when I was 13 weeks pregnant and had had a migraine for 5 days. I contacted her in desperation as I could not take my normal medication and alternative therapy was my only option. I have to admit that I wasn’t convinced of how effective acupuncture would be for my migraines. However Michelle worked her magic and immediately after the first session I felt a significant reduction in the level of pain. By the next day I had almost recovered and after a follow up session with Michelle I felt like a new person. I have suffered with migraines throughout my pregnancy and each time I have contacted Michelle immediately. She has cured all of them for me very quickly. I plan on seeing Michelle for treatment of any condition I face in the future. I feel very lucky to have found her and would not consider using anyone else!”. Leonie, Palmers Green, London N13