Acupuncture and Fertility Success With Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

  

  The causes of infertility can be varied and are sometimes difficult to identify. Whatever the cause, fertility problems can often be overcome with surgery, drugs or assisted reproductive techniques (ART) - a modern medical approach, where the egg, sperm, or both are handled by a physician to increase the chances of conceiving. However, there is a limitation in such procedures. Although hundreds of thousands of babies are born with the help of art each year, the success rates are low and decrease with age of the woman. ART comes with a hefty price tag as well; an in vitro fertilization cycle (IVF) can cost between $ 10,000 to $ 20,000 or more.
   Recent studies show a direct relationship between acupuncture and fertility when integrated with conventional procedures TRA. The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture brings a number of positive effects on men and female reproductive system, increasing the chances of successful implantation and reduce the risk of miscarriage. These are some of the ways acupuncture can improve the chances of a successful procedure ART.
Induces relaxation   Western researchers have been doing studies on acupuncture for decades, but in 2002 the journal Fertility and Sterility published a study that increased the popularity of the therapy in infertile couples. This study, which was led by Dr. Wolfgang Paulus, University of Ulm in Germany, found that 42% of women who received acupuncture before and after a procedure ART became pregnant compared with 26% ART women became pregnant without acupuncture. In the same year, researchers at Cornell University Medical School published a study in the same journal. According to this document, acupuncture increases the chances of conceiving because it reduces anxiety and stress. Stress hormones can over-stimulate the nervous system, causing blood flow to be diverted from the uterus and go to the glands to deal with stress instead. Acupuncture can restore blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, thus improving fertility.
Regulates hormone production and improves the quality of eggs

   One of the benefits of acupuncture for female fertility is its ability to deal with problems of the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus region of the brain responsible for hormone production. Acupuncture needles also stimulate the release of beta-endorphin, which affects the production of reproductive hormones that control the menstrual cycle, such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), gonadtropin releasing hormone (GRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The treatment effect on the body's hormones results in normal ovarian function, normal menstrual cycles, increasing healthy egg follicles.
Reducing side effects of drugs against infertility

Most of the ART procedures include a fertility drug to induce during the release of multiple eggs and increase the chances of successful implementation. The irony is that many of these drugs, particularly Clomid can also cause infertility by producing a thin uterine lining that can not keep an embryo for long. Acupuncture can reverse these side effects, improving blood flow to the uterus and help produce a uniform thickness of the uterine lining. This effect has been documented in a study in Human Reproduction in 1996. Women who received two treatments of acupuncture with IVF cycle - one 25 minutes before embryo transfer and 25 minutes later - a pregnancy rate higher women who received acupuncture with IVF.
Reduces the chance of miscarriage 

    Many studies analyze the pregnancy rate after IVF and acupuncture, but what matters most is whether pregnancy is completed. A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine shows that acupuncture can increase the rate of live births ART procedures. This study included 131 women who underwent / ICSI IVF; 48 of them were in an acupuncture treatment while 83 declined. Although the rate of embryo transfer success were almost the same (50% in the acupuncture group compared to 45% in the control group), the spontaneous abortion rate in the acupuncture group was significantly lower in 8% (vs. 14% in the control group). The rate of ectopic pregnancy was also lower - anyone in the acupuncture group had an ectopic pregnancy.
Should I get my acupuncture procedure with ART?

  Since acupuncture is a safe and painless technique that does not cause harmful side effects, most fertility experts say it is a good idea to get acupuncture treatments to complete an ART procedure. Scientific evidence for its benefits to increase the success rate of ART and also the relaxation provided by acupuncture is enough to recommend the procedure, what with the effort of dealing with infertility treatments and the expensive art. Those who conceived after ART and acupuncture are almost certainly grateful for the positive result despite the additional cost of acupuncture treatment combined with the cost of antiretroviral therapy.