Insights & Discussion
Discover Related Insights
Acupuncture may have a positive impact on clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), although the results are limited by the heterogeneity of the current evidence.
2023 Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Pregnancy Benefit of Acupuncture on in vitro Fertilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Zhang H, Zhang C, Ma P, Sun C, Sun C, Liu X, et al.
Systematic Review IVF
This study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture on embryo transfer in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). A total of 49 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 9422 women were analyzed. The results indicated that acupuncture had a significant positive impact on the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) compared to the control groups (odds ratio [OR]=1.65 for CPR, 1.34 for LBR). Subgroup analyses showed that traditional acupuncture was more beneficial for women aged < 35 years, those receiving ≥ 3 sessions, and those with lower baseline CPR rates in the control group. However, significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies. In conclusion, while there were some benefits of acupuncture in improving CPR and LBR in IVF, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the variability in the current evidence.
Laser acupuncture therapy might be a feasible treatment for chronic Bell's palsy and its long-term complications according to this pilot study.
2021 Journal of Lasers in Medical Sciences Effects of Laser Acupuncture Therapy for Patients With Inadequate Recovery From Bell’s Palsy: Preliminary Results From Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study Ton G, Lee LW, Ho WC, Tu CH, Chen YH, Lee YC
Randomised Controlled Trial Laser Acupuncture
Methodology: This study was a two-armed, parallel, randomized, investigator-subject-assessor-blinded, sham-controlled pilot study with 17 deserving participants who were randomly assigned to either Laser Acupuncture Therapy (LAT) or sham LAT group. The LAT group had three sessions of therapy every week for a period of six weeks, receiving a total of 18 sessions, while the sham LAT group underwent the same procedure but with a sham laser device. The change in the social subscale of the Facial Disability Index from the start to the end (week 6) was used as the primary outcome measurement. Additional outcomes measured included changes in the House-Brackmann facial paralysis scale, Sunnybrook facial grading system, and stiffness scale at weeks 3 and 6.
Discussion of Results: The House-Brackmann score demonstrated a notable difference between the start of the study and the third week, and the Sunnybrook and stiffness scores showed borderline significance from the onset to the conclusion (week 6). However, comparison between the Facial Disability Index score at the start and end of six weeks did not yield any considerable difference. These findings suggested that LAT may have clinical effects on chronic Bell's palsy and its long-term complications.
Acupuncture may have a significant effect on clinical pregnancy rates, independent of comparator group, when used in women who have had multiple previous IVF cycles, or where there was a low baseline pregnancy rate.
2019 Reproductive BioMedicine Online Acupuncture performed around the time of embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis Smith, C. A., Armour, M., Shewamene, Z., et al.
Systematic Review Embryo Transfer Female Fertility IVF
Evidence suggests acupuncture may be effective when compared with no adjunctive treatment, with increased clinical pregnancies and live births, but is not an efficacious treatment when compared with sham controls. Future research should focus on different dosing acupuncture regimens, and exploration of the components of acupuncture that are contributing to improved reproductive outcomes. Increased understanding of these components may have broader application to the care and treatment modalities provided to women undergoing IVF. Further exploration of the effects of acupuncture for women with poorer IVF outcomes is warranted.
Despite some indications of improved clinical pregnancy rates, the overall effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for couples with subfertility undergoing assisted reproduction therapy remains inconclusive and requires further high-quality research.
2018 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Effects of Acupuncture on the Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technology: An Overview of Systematic Reviews Xi, J., Chen, H., Peng, Z., et al.
Systematic Review Female Fertility IVF Stress
This abstract summarizes the findings of systematic reviews and meta-analyses assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating couples with subfertility undergoing assisted reproduction therapy (ART). The review included eleven studies published between 2009 and 2017 and examined primary outcomes of live birth and clinical pregnancy, and secondary outcomes of ongoing pregnancy, miscarriage, and adverse events. The results suggest that acupuncture may improve the clinical pregnancy rate in ART patients. However, there was insufficient evidence to support its impact on live birth rate, ongoing pregnancy rates, or miscarriage, mainly due to the low quality of the included studies. The overall effectiveness of acupuncture in treating subfertility during ART remains uncertain, emphasizing the need for further high-quality research and well-reported trials.
Acupuncture improves the clinical pregnancy rate among women undergoing IVF and the IVF outcome results were significantly superior in the acupuncture group when acupuncture was conducted during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.
2016 Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Therapeutic effect of acupuncture on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis Qian, Y., Xia, X.-R., Ochin, H., et al.
Systematic Review Female Fertility IVF
When the studies were restricted to Asian or non-Asian area patients, compared with traditional acupuncture and other methods, electrical acupuncture yielded better IVF outcomes. Optimal positive effects could be expected using acupuncture in IVF during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, especially in Asian area. However, as a limitation of this review, most of the included studies did not mention the number of embryos transferred.
Sign In
Users not signed in are limited to viewing the 5 most recent items of content.