Every human body is different. Every pregnancy is different. Our bodies don’t always function the way we want them to. In a world where we have so much control and access to the world at our finger tips, there is still so much we cannot control in our own bodies.
This is certainly the case when it comes to pregnancy. However, there are ways acupuncture, alongside other assisted treatments such as IVF, can guide and assist our bodies in the right direction.
New research finds acupuncture effective for relieving pain associated with transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR), an egg collection procedure used in fertility treatments.
TVOR enables fertilization outside of the human body. In this study, application of acupuncture point LI4 (Hegu) was compared with a control group and a placebo group to determine the efficacy of using acupuncture as an anesthetic. The control group and the placebo group showed no significant post-operative benefits, however, the acupuncture group showed a significant reduction of post-operative pain.
A sample size of 90 participants were randomized into three groups. Group A received acupuncture at LI4 bilaterally, group B received placebo needles and group C received only routine oocyte retrieval. Pain intensity levels immediately after the operation and one hour later were significantly lower in the acupuncture group. Continue reading
Researchers have discovered that acupuncture increases live birth rates and pregnancy rates for women receiving in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments for infertility.
Many recent studies conclude that acupuncture enhances fertility but one recent study investigated success rates by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differential diagnosis. They discovered that two types of diagnosis are more likely to respond with a higher success rate. Women diagnosed with either Kidney deficiency or Liver Qi stagnation have higher success rates than those diagnosed with phlegm dampness syndrome.
Three major groups of infertile women receiving IVF with embryo transplantation were studied. Group A consisted of 82 cases of Kidney deficiency syndrome. Group B consisted of 74 women with Liver Qi stagnation and Group C consisted of 54 cases of phlegm dampness syndrome. Electro-acupuncture was applied to all three groups. All three groups benefitted from electro-acupuncture as was quantified statistically with success rates and in the lab with increases in blood and embryo levels of HLA-G, a protein predictive of higher pregnancy and live birth rates. Continue reading
There is an incredible wealth of modern studies, carefully documented case histories and classic texts that demonstrate how acupuncture and herbal medicine contribute to healthy pregnancies and enhanced fertility.
I personally have been treating couples (both men and women) with acupuncture treatments for years and have been lucky to witness so many successful and heart-warming stories.However, there is always skepticism surrounding this and it is always refreshing to find new studies and research which helps confirm what so many people already know.
Here is an article I found in HealthCMI last week confirming findings released from a recent study which I thought I’d share. Continue reading
Researchers conclude that acupuncture improves b
oth the pregnancy and live birth rates of women receiving in vitro fertilization and embryo transplantation (IVF-ET). During the investigation, researchers uncovered a biochemical mechanism by which acupuncture Acupuncture for IVFenhances fertility. In addition, the researchers compared successful IVF-ET rates with Chinese medicine differential diagnoses and made an interesting discovery. Continue reading
According to an article released in Technorati to
day, 30 May 2012, a collaborative investigation between researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (Baltimore) and the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine concludes that, “Recent clinical trial and systematic review results clearly show acupuncture to be more beneficial than conventional standard care for many pain conditions….”
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