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Why We Should Use Acupuncture for FertilityPlease read some great research summaries from www.herbalroom.com. These summaries clearly show how effective acupuncture can be for various issues related to fertility.
Acupuncture and exercise restore adipose tissue expression of sympathetic markers and improve ovarian morphology in rats with dihydrotestosterone-induced PCOS. Manneras, et al. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 Apr;296(4):R1124-31.
The great part of this study is that is showed that acupuncture in combination with exercise can significantly improve ovarian quality, including follicle count and the morphology. It also showed that acupuncture can significantly improve PCOS outcomes. While this particular study was done on rats, it has been our clinical observation that exercise can make a very significant impact in fertility and overall health.
Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer treatment. Magarelli, et al. Fertility and Sterility, 2009 [epub ahead of print].
This was an interesting study that examined the question of whether acupuncture improves pregnancy rates through stress reduction. The answer was that acupuncture significantly improves pregnancy rates, but not by reducing stress levels (as measured by cortisol and prolactin). Of particular interest in this study, however, was the fact that this particular acupuncture protocol doubled a woman's chances of maintaining her pregnancy (p<.05). In this protocol they combined a modified version of the Paulus protocol with the Stenner-Victorin protocol for a total of 11 acupuncture treatments during an IVF cycle. This study suggests that the addition of the Stener-Victorin protocol may be very useful to reduce the chances of miscarriage.
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. British Medical Journal, 2008 Feb 7; [Epub ahead of print]
This was a meta-analysis looking at all the available, high quality acupuncture research. When taking all factors into account the investigators found that "acupuncture increased the odds of a live birth 91% compared with the control groups." What the authors did not mention was that the analysis was biased AGAINST acupuncture (see the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Chinese Medicine for a publication written by Judith Balk, MD, MPH and Brandon Horn, PhD, JD, LAc for details). Therefore, the true effects of acupuncture are even higher than this.
Does Acupuncture Enhance a Woman's Chance for Pregnancy and a Live Birth? Athol Kent. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Spring; 1(2): 89.
This is another review of the use of acupuncture for IVF. The author discusses a summary of the evidence and concludes that "the order of magnitude of improved outcomes [with acupuncture] is higher than more conventional adjunct maneuvers".
A Pilot Study Evaluating the Combination of Acupuncture with Sildenafil on Endometrial Thickness: Yu et.al. Presented at the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Meeting 2007 Apr 20.
This was an interesting study utilizing a dynamic acupuncture protocol that changed according to the patients' individual needs. Participants in the study all had poor uterine linings in prior cycles (less than 8 mm). Although it was only a pilot study, all subjects achieved lining thickness of 10 mm or greater. Lining thicknesses of 8mm or less have been shown to have substantially lower pregnancy rates than those over 9mm so this is a very significant finding and may be another mechanism by which acupuncture is improving pregnancy rates.
All research courtesy of www.herbalroom.com
Pregnancy and Nausea! Is it Really So Bad?
New research may have you feeling better about enduring morning sickness! Some specialists feel that having morning sickness is indicative of the proper functioning of hormones that are being made by the mom to be. Research continues to find away to show that vomiting and nausea may not be such a bad thing. Studies have shown a correlation between these terrible feelings and lower risks of miscarriage and later in life, breast cancer. Of course this news wonÕt actually make you feel physically better but at least you are in good company. Around 85% of moms to be feel nausea. Usually starts around four to eight weeks.
The good news is that acupuncture can really help, and the sooner you start treatments, the better the outcome!
Or try some of the following:
• Avoid triggers, bad smells and certain foods
• Soda crackers and frequent small meals
• Ginger (candied, ginger ale, 250mg of powdered ginger)
If the nausea and vomiting get really bad, consult a Doctor. Morning sickness medication is safe and you want avoid becoming dehydrated at all cost.
The above information was adapted from Fit Pregnancy Magazine June/July 2010.
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