When I ask my clients what brings them to acupuncture during their fertility journey, most find out about it from friends, from fertility forums or from gynaecologists or fertility consultants at IVF clinics. This word of mouth way of spreading the message is fantastic, and it’s often when we hear about something new from a trusted friend or professional that we feel more confident to give it a go.
However there is also a growing body of research which also supports the use of acupuncture in fertility care. A systematic review of the research evidence carried out in 2018 indicated that:
acupuncture had a significant treatment effect in improving the clinical pregnancy and birth rates of subfertile women undergoing IVF or ICSI.
The research also showed that acupuncture can help to reduce levels of stress and anxiety for women who are suffering with subfertility, and also increase their capacity to cope. This is certainly something that is very noticeable in the acupuncture clinic. Only last week two of my clients, one an IVF patient from Wigan and another a fertility client from Lancaster, both said they felt that acupuncture had been transformative, in helping them to cope with the IVF and fertility roller coaster.
Clients also frequently report better responses to IVF when they have had a course of acupuncture. A randomised trial conducted in China in 2018, showed that acupuncture during the ovarian stimulation stage improved ovarian blood supply and significantly increased clinical pregnancy rates.
To get the most out of acupuncture treatment, the research findings also point to the effectiveness of acupuncture being dependant on having a sufficient number of acupuncture treatments over an adequate period of time.
I see fertility clients each week from all over Lancashire, who are each on their own unique fertility journey. If you would like to discuss having fertility acupuncture, or if you have any questions about having acupuncture to support your natural fertility or are undergoing IVF, ICSI or IUI and would like to know more about combining these interventions with acupuncture, please get in touch. You can also read more about having acupuncture for fertility support with me here.
The British Acupuncture Council has also published the review of the research discussed here – Acupuncture and IVF: A new resource for practice and research.
Charlotte Green provides fertility and IVF acupuncture to support clients wanting to optimise their natural fertility and also for those undergoing interventions such as IVF, ICSI and IUI. Clients travel from throughout Lancashire including Preston, Blackburn, Darwen, Burnley, Blackpool, Lytham, Chorley, Leyland, Lancaster, Accrington, Wigan, Bolton and Bury.
Fertility Acupuncture 