Acupuncture, one of the world's oldest and most established healing practices, is growing in popularity as a way to complement the modern procedures of ART - Assisted Reproductive Technologies. 

Two teams of researchers in Germany and China have found that adding acupuncture to the treatment regimen of women using assisted reproductive techniques to have a child can dramatically improve the woman's chances of getting pregnant by up to 20 percent **.  In these women the chosen acupuncture points were those that relax the uterus according to the principles of TCM. This greatly increased the chances of getting pregnant because acupuncture influences the autonomic nervous system and needling specific points can optimize endometrial receptivity.

Researchers believe acupuncture's can help address infertility issues and improve the success rate of IVF in many ways, including:

1) Improve the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs.

2) Regulate the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles.

3) Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining.

4) Relax the patient and decrease their stress.

5) Prevent the uterus from contracting.

6) Lessen the side effects of drugs used in IVF

7) Strengthen the immune system.

** The German study was entitled "Influence of Acupuncture on the Pregnancy Rate in Patients Who Undergo Assisted Reproduction Therapy,"  and appeared in the April 2002 issue of Fertility and Sterility (Vol. 77, No. 44), a medical journal published by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.  More information on acupuncture in assisted reproductive technologies can be found at www.acubaby.com.

Offering Acupuncture for Infertility and Fertility Enhancement in Columbus, Ohio