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 New evidence suggests that in women trying to become pregnant using in vitro fertilization (IVF), acupuncture may not improve success rates
Acupuncture is often used during IVF treatments, despite the limited evidence of effectiveness.
In the recent study, 160 women (38 years of age or older) were randomly assigned to receive either true acupuncture or "sham" acupuncture 25 minutes before and after IVF. For the sham acupuncture, real acupuncture needles were inserted into non-acupoints that are not associated with fertility.
The researchers found that true acupuncture did not have a significant benefit on pregnancy rates compared to sham acupuncture. In fact, women in the sham acupuncture group had slightly higher rates of pregnancy, although the effect was not statistically significant.
The researchers note, however, that these findings may be limited by the short duration of the study. Patients who receive acupuncture for fertility typically undergo therapy for several weeks or months, not just before and after their IVF procedures.
Acupuncture has been used to treat many conditions related to pregnancy. For example, there is good evidence that acupuncture may improve nausea and back strain in pregnant women.
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- Moy I, Milad MP, Barnes R, et al. Randomized controlled trial: effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertility and Sterility. 2010. View Abstract
- Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com
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