Volume 4, 1 January 2015, Pages 157-163
Is acupuncture associated with improved IVF outcomes?
(Book Chapter)
Boston IVF, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Waltham, MA, United States
Abstract
Although acupuncture
has been offered to infertile women for thousands of years, the first
randomized controlled trial on the impact of acupuncture with IVF
patients was not published until 2002. That study showed a significant
increase in the clinical pregnancy rate in women who underwent
acupuncture treatment prior to and
after embryo transfer when compared to a control group. Since then, the
use of acupuncture with ART patients has become widespread, and
the early trials tended to replicate the initial findings. However,
more recent research has not indicated as strong an impact, and
the efficacy of acupuncture with this patient population is being
questioned. The focus of this chapter includes information on the
discrepancy between the early and
more recent research, a discussion on the appropriateness of the chosen
control groups, an explanation of the challenges of performing
Western-style research on an Eastern intervention, the potential for
bias in the published literature, and clinical recommendations for patients. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.
Author keywords
Acupuncture; CAM; Complementary and alternative medicine; Emotional distress; In vitro fertilization; Infertility; IVF; Pregnancy; TCM; Traditional Chinese medicine
