Infertility treatment is expensive and stressful, and acupuncture is a common and popular choice for people looking to increase their chances of a healthy pregnancy. A recent meta-analysis aims to compare the frequency and timing of treatments of acupuncture in IVF cycles, to uncover the most effective approach.
TL;DR: A recent meta-analysis found that acupuncture during ovarian stimulation in fresh IVF cycles improves pregnancy rates, and acupuncture before embryo transfer in frozen cycles increases live birth rates. The study also highlights that higher treatment frequency is associated with better outcomes, emphasizing the importance of consistent acupuncture sessions throughout an IVF cycle.
Research looking at acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and moxibustion has found overall benefits to treatment with IVF, but uncertainty around the timings and dose (number of treatments) remain. This meta-analysis adds to a growing body of research trying to discover the ideal acupuncture regimen for IVF.
The analysis included 38 random controlled trials, with a total of 5991 participants. It included people undergoing both fresh and freeze-thaw embryo transfer cycles, with or without ICSI.
The studies had a range of treatment frequencies that ranged from 1 treatment, to 5 times a week, for between 1 and 3 menstrual cycles. Researchers divided the studies into low, moderate and high dose groups depending on treatment duration. Low dose was less than 1 menstrual cycle, moderate was 1 cycle and high dose was more than 1 cycle.
The researchers concluded that acupuncture during the stimulation phase of fresh cycles (controlled ovarian hyperstimulation) yielded a higher pregnancy rate. For people undergoing freeze-thaw embryo transfers, acupuncture before the transfer significantly increased the live birth rate. Whilst individual studies suggested benefits to day of transfer acupuncture, the meta-analysis found no reproductive benefits overall. Improvements in pregnancy rates were seen across all dosage groups, but the high dose group demonstrated a significant increase in live birth rate.
What does this mean? This study emphasises the importance of timing acupuncture treatments when in an IVF cycle. Having acupuncture during the stimulation phase of treatment, when your body is pouring a lot of resources into growing healthy, good quality eggs, correlated with higher pregnancy rates. When preparing for a FET, acupuncture aims to enhance endometrial receptivity, and increase blood flow to both the uterus and ovaries. In this study, acupuncture treatment during this time corresponded to higher rates of live births.
Despite the mixed outcomes on acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer, I continue to recommend it as a way to bookend an IVF cycle, promoting peace and calm after the procedure, and supporting you through the two week wait. Ideally this is combined with regular treatment in the lead up to the transfer, as emphasised in this research. Acupuncture is amazing, but one treatment alone is unlikely to deliver longer term effects for fertility and pregnancy.
Acupuncture is thought to improve IVF outcomes by modulating neuroendocrine factors, increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, and influencing immune factors. Chinese medicine and acupuncture has also been shown to improve a person’s experience of infertility treatment, helping them to feel more in control and resilient. Get in touch if you’d like to know more about how acupuncture can support your fertility.
Read the study abstract here.