Holistic & Multi-Dimensional Treatments to Support & Complement Fertility and Family-Building Care
Clinical studies have shown that using acupuncture in conjunction with fertility treatments can increase conception rates by 26%. Some studies have found that acupuncture used alongside IVF increased the odds of clinical pregnancy by up to 65%.[5]
The goal with providing supplemental acupuncture & holistic healthcare to assistive reproductive technology (ART) and natural conception efforts at our clinic is to restore the overall health of the patient(s), boost the reproductive health functions of each partner, reduce inflammation that may be contributing to infertility and other reproductive disorders, and improve the quality of the egg and sperm itself. Simultaneous treatment for both female and male fertility is recommended for optimal results—as practitioners of integrative medicine, previous data provided by patients and/or collaborating physicians from fertility tests and lab work may also be used to further guide and personalize treatment approaches and other lifestyle and dietary recommendations.
​
Female Factor & Fertility Support Benefits
-
Enhancing egg quality and ovarian reserve, helping to produce healthier eggs during IVF[1]
-
Increasing blood circulation to developing follicles[1]
-
Increasing blood flow to the uterus, helping the body create a healthy and thickening the uterine lining, which improves the chances of an ovum implanting on the uterine wall.[1]
-
Decrease IVF side effects, especially during ovarian stimulation and ovulation, caused by rapid changes in hormone levels, including hot flashes, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches, etc.[3]
-
Lowering stress & anxiety associated with infertility: high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol have been shown to have a negative effect on fertility by influencing the HPO (hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian) axis[2]
-
Modulating the immune system and cytokine levels to reduce overall inflammation in the body[4]
References
1. Magerelli P et al Fertil Steril 2009 Dec:92(6): 1870-1879
2. Domar A Fertil Steril 2009 Mar:91(3): 723-7263
3. Anecdotal clinical evidence
4. Dehghani, A. S., Homayouni, K., Kanannejad, Z., & Kanannejad, Z. (2020). The effect of acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer on the in vitro fertilization outcomes: An RCT. International journal of reproductive biomedicine, 18(3), 209–214. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v18i3.6719
5. Manheimer, E., Zhang, G., Udoff, L., Haramati, A., Langenberg, P., Berman, B. M., & Bouter, L. M. (2008). Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 336(7643), 545–549. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39471.430451.BE
Male Factor & Fertility Support
Studies show that male factors contribute to 50% of infertility cases and a combination of female & male factors contribute to infertility 10% of the time.
Male infertility can be due to a number of factors, including abnormal spermatogenesis, reproductive tract anomalies or obstruction, inadequate sexual and ejaculatory functions, and impaired sperm motility [7,8,10]. In 30-40% of men, no cause for infertility is found [7].
Factors that alter spermatogenesis include endocrine disturbances such as low testosterone levels, exposure to medicines or environmental toxins, varicocele, increased scrotal heat, systemic diseases, smoking and alcohol, and testicular torsion and trauma [5,6,9].
Our approach using acupuncture and holistic treatment that may also include herbal medicines and dietary changes, is aimed at improving sperm quality such as sperm count, sperm mobility and morphology of sperm, reducing inflammation and improving the general male health prior to fertility treatments, sperm donations, and/or natural conception efforts.
​
Acupuncture can also be used on the day of sperm donation to ease any anxiety and improve blood circulation.
What does the research say?
A number of studies have demonstrated the benefits of acupuncture on sperm quality associated with infertility: ​
01.
When a group of infertile men received twice weekly acupuncture for 5 weeks, there was a general improvement in the sperm’s structural integrity and a statistically significant increase in the percentage and number of sperm with no structural defects. [1]
03.
A study of acupuncture on infertile men—in fact, men with such extremely low sperm counts (or no sperm) that testicular biopsy would have been required to collect sperm for ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection, sometimes used in IVF)—demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture in boosting sperm counts. After 10 treatments, the men who initially produced no sperm were able to produce sufficient sperm to no longer require testicular biopsy. [3]
02.
Another group of infertile men was divided randomly into an acupuncture group and a control group. The acupuncture group received 10 treatments over 5 weeks and demonstrated improved motility and morphology as compared to the control group. [2]
04.
A before and after study looked at the change in fertilization rates for IVF/ICSI procedures involving men with semen abnormalities and at least two previous poor outcomes with IVF/ICSI. After 8 treatments of acupuncture, fertilization rates increased from 40.2% to 66.2%. [4]
[1]. Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Pei J et al Fertil Steril. 2005 Jul;84(1):141-7, Fertility and Sterility
[2]. Effect of acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from subfertility related to low sperm quality. Siterman S et al Arch Androl. 1997 Sep-Oct;39(2):155-61, Archives of Andrology
[3]. Does acupuncture treatment affect sperm density in males with very low sperm count? A pilot study. Siterman S et al Andrologia. 2000 Jan;32(1):31-9., Andrologia
[4]. Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology. Zhang M et al J Huazhong Univ Sci Tech Med Sci. 2002;22(3):228-30
[5]. Arap MA et al. Late hormonal levels, semen parameters and presence of antisperm antibodies in patients treated for testicular torsion. J Androl 2007; 28: 528-32.
[6]. Cherry N et al. Occupational exposure to solvents and male infertility. Occup Environ Med 2001; 58: 635-40.
[7]. Dohle GR et al. Guidelines on male infertility. European Association of Urology; 2010.
[8]. Isidori A et al. Treatment of male infertility. Contraception 2005; 72: 314-8.
[9]. Kunzle R et al. Semen quality of male smokers and nonsmokers in infertile couples. Fertil Steril 2003; 79: 287-91.
[10]. Patki P et al. Effects of spinal cord injury on semen parameters. J Spinal Cord Med 2008; 31: 27-32.
[11]. Shefi S, Turek PJ. Definition and current evaluation of subfertile men. Int Braz J Urol 2006; 32:385-97.
References
