Women’s Health

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Clinical Research

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1447-acupuncture-reduces-stress-for-ivf-fertility-treatment

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/10755530152755207

An Exploratory Pilot Study of Acupuncture on the Quality of Life and Reproductive Hormone Secretion in Menopausal Women

To cite this article:

Hongguang Dong, Frank Lüdicke, Isabelle Comte, Aldo Campana, Patrick Graff, and Paul Bischof. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. December 2001, 7(6): 651-658. doi:10.1089/10755530152755207.

Published in Volume: 7 Issue 6: July 5, 2004 search

Acupuncture helps relieve PMS symptoms including stress and anxiety.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21609380

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1317-acupuncture-herbs-best-drugs-for-menstrual-pain-and-cramps

Acupuncture For Fertility

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Clinical Research

Recent research shows that Acupuncture can:

  • Increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries
  • Regulate hormones to produce a large number of follicles
  • Improve the quality and thickness of the uterine lining
  • Improve hormone levels including FSH, Prolactin, Oestrogen and Progesterone
  • Reduce stress
  • Regulate the Menstrual cycle

There are also studies to show that Acupuncture can be highly effective in improving conception for women undergoing IVF (Click here for research). The most commonly quoted research is from the Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany. Commonly known as The German Report, it studied 160 patients undergoing IVF randomized into 2 groups of 80, one group which received acupuncture pre and post embryo transfer, and the control group which received no acupuncture. The results showed that 34 out of the 80 patients (42.5%) who received acupuncture achieved a positive pregnancy test, compared to 21 of the 80 in the control group (26.3%).

The thought here is that Acupuncture received as close to transfer both pre and post, can reduce uterine contractions which might result in expulsion of the embryo, or may prevent a successful implantation.

In general, if a couple is deciding to have Acupuncture to either enhance natural conception, or to assist in IVF or other ART procedures, it is advisable to undergo at least 3 months of treatment. This is based on the knowledge that it takes 3 months for healthy eggs and/or sperm to form, so that in this way the body is at its optimum health for conception to occur. Of course if trying naturally, conception may happen within this time frame, and in this case Acupuncture can be utilised to prevent miscarriage in the first Trimester. Special attention is placed on Diet and Lifestyle advice in this time also, again so that the body is in its healthiest state for pregnancy to occur.

Fertility Research

Acupuncture can increase blood flow to the uterus (Stener-Victorin E, et al Human Reproduction Oxford Journal 1996; Vol. 11, No. 6, pp.1314-1317 http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/6/1314.abstract )

Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF, compared with no acupuncture (Westergaard L et al, Fertility and Sterility April 2006 Vol 85, pp. 1341-1346 http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2806%2900212-3/abstract ).

Dept of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany. Fertil Steril 2002:77;721-4. 2002. American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Luteal-phase acupuncture has a positive effect on the outcome of IVF/ICSI (Dieterle S et al, Fertility and Sterility May 2006 Vol 85, pp. 1347-1351 http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2806%2900213-5/abstract ).

‘Acupuncture Normalizes Dysfunction of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis’
Bo-Ying Chen M.D. Prof. Of Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, P.R.China.
(Received June 3, 1997; ccvepted with revisions June 30, 1997)
Acupuncture & Electro-Therapeutics Res., Int. J., Vol 22, pp. 97-108, 1997. Copyright © 1997 Cognizant Communication Corp.

Acupuncture seems to be a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate after ART. (Paulus W et al, Fertility and Sterility April 2002 Vol 77, pp. 721-724 http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2801%2903273-3/abstract ).

IVF cannot turn back the biological clock!

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Working women are leaving it too late to have children because they wrongly believe that ivf clinics can restore their fertility at any age, a leading academic has warned.

Women cannot simply rewind their ‘biological clock’ and easily have a baby later in life, the expert says.

A new study warns that becoming pregnant relatively later in life leaves mature mothers-to-be facing a higher risk of pregnancy loss, birth defects and other complications.

Women may delay pregnancy in their most fertile years for a variety of reasons, such as focusing on careers, lack of financial stability or not having a partner.
They are vaguely aware that fertility decreases with age, but it is only when they experience age-related infertility first-hand that they realise the reality of their situation, according to academics.

Dr Pasquale Patrizio, of the Yale School of Medicine in the United States, said the problem is increased due to images of celebrities who seem to effortlessly give birth at advanced ages

He said: “There is an alarming misconception about fertility among women.
“We also found a lack of knowledge about steps women can take early in their reproductive years to preserve the possibility of conception later in life.”

The research stemmed from the observations Dr Patrizio and colleagues made that more women are coming to the fertility clinic at age 43 or older expecting that pregnancy can be instantly achieved – and are disappointed to learn it is cannot be done easily.

He added: “We are really seeing more and more patients ‘upset’ after failing in having their own biological child after age 43 so we had to report on this.
“Their typical reaction is, ‘what do you mean you cannot help me? I am healthy, I exercise, and I cannot have my own baby?’

Even though the number of women turning to ART {Assisted Reproductive Therapy] has increased, the number of IVF cycles resulting in pregnancy in women above age 42 mostly remained static at nine per cent in 2009.

If pregnancy is achieved at an older age, women then face higher risk of pregnancy loss, birth defects, and other complications.

“As clinicians, we should begin educating women more aggressively. Women should be given the appropriate information about postponing fertility, obstetric risks, and the limited success of ART in advanced age to allow them to make informed decisions about when, if at all, they hope to become pregnant.”

Dr Patrizio said that one of the techniques women should take advantage of is oocyte (egg) freezing, which appears to be the best strategy for women who want to postpone motherhood but really care about having a child with their own genetic material.

Alternative options such as egg donation, which leads to the highest pregnancy rates reported for any ART method, are also available.

He added: “There is an urgent need to educate women that reproductive aging is irreversible and, more importantly that there are options to safeguard against he risk of future infertility.”

These techniques are valid options for women and should not be viewed as experimental.

“Doctors and health professionals must begin the discussion about fertility preservation in their patients and make certain that young women truly understand all their options.”

According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies, the number of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles performed for women under age 35 increased by about nine per cent between 2003 and 2009.

During this same time period, the number of IVF cycles performed for women aged 41 and older increased by 41%. But this procedure doesn’t always result in success.

The findings were published in the journal Fertility and Sterilit

Women with PCOS benefit from Acupuncture and Excercise

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Natural alternative medicine therapies such as acupuncture and regular exercise may improve hormone levels and regulate menstrual bleeding patterns in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to  research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

What is PCOS?

In the recent study, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, a group of women with PCOS were treated with acupuncture where the acu-needles were stimulated both physiically and with a weak electrical current at a low frequency.

A second group of women were asked to exercise at a minimun of three times a week, while a third group acted as control subjects. All of the groups were given information on the importance of regular exercise and a healthy diet.

“The study shows that both acupuncture and exercise reduce high levels of testosterone and lead to more regular menstruation,” says  associate professor Elisabet Stener-Victorin, who is responsible for the study. “Of the two treatments, the acupuncture proved more effective.”

Cause

Although PCOS is a common disorder, researchers have not dertimined the root cause.“However, we’ve recently demonstrated that women with PCOS have a highly active sympathetic nervous system, the part that isn’t controlled by our will, and that both acupuncture and regular exercise reduced levels of activity in this system compared with the control group, which could be an explanation for the results.”

This study is encouraging for PCOS sufferers as it allows for more natural treatment methods such as acupuncture, nutrition and excercise to help manage many of the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome and possibly increase fertility rates and the chance of conception for women trying to get pregnant.

Reference

edel, F. Labrie, A. Oden, G. Holm, L. Nilsson, P. O. Janson, A.-K. Lind, C. Ohlsson, E. Stener-Victorin. Impact of electro-acupuncture and physical exercise on hyperandrogenism and oligo/amenorrhea in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. AJP: Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2010; 300 (1): E37 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00495.2010

Acupuncture for Morning Sickness

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Acupuncture treatment for morning sickness is one of the most effective treatments available in my clinic, and quite often the lady is led to its effectiveness  indirectly – by having had Acupuncture to assist her conception and Fertility!

Its often a surprise to hear that Acupuncture can help her deal with and eliminate the horrors of Morning Sickness.  Quite often the lady WANTS  to experience the Morning Sickness as PROOF that she is actually pregnant, especially if she has been trying for quite some time to enhance her Fertility and become pregnant. But for most women, it is a misery, and thus a pleasant surprise when they learn that Acupuncture can cure their Morning Sickness. Obviously for those of you who have experienced it, a pleasant surprise!

Morning Sickness occurs in about half of all pregnancies, and most often between the 6th and 16th weeks, with weeks 8 to 12 being the worst, although it is possible in the unlucky few for Morning Sickness to carry on for most of the pregnancy!

The degree to which symptoms present and their severity varies from person to person. For some it can be slight queasiness, or nausea which occurs at different times throughout the day (Morning Sickness??)! For others, symptoms can be very severe with violent vomiting, and an inability to digest any food however small, and in most cases not even water. Obviously this is quite critical, as it can lead to severe dehydration, and in some cases may require hospitalisation. This is a condition known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and is obviously very distressing for the mum to be. But the good news is, that despite the severity of the vomiting, the growing baby is not harmed in any way. Nature has put a Bypass in place, and it still stays snug and nourished in the mums womb!

But dont just take my word for it that Acupuncture can help Morning Sickness! Obviously Im biased!! But thankfully several scientific studies have shown that Acupuncture is very effective in treating Morning Sickness, as indeed I have found this to be the case in my own practice.

“Here comes the science”…as a well known add used to say!

A study undertaken in an Adelaide Maternity Hospital, Australia in 2002 was undertaken on 593 women who were less than 14 weeks pregnant, and experiencing nausea or vomiting. They were randomised into 4 groups: Traditional Acupuncture, Pericardium 6 (P-6) Acupuncture, (P-6 is an Acupuncture point which is the basis for the commercial “sea bands”. It is located approx 2 inches above the wrist crease between 2 tendons), Sham Acupuncture, or no Acupuncture (control).

Results showed that women receiving Traditional Acupuncture or P-6 Acupuncture, demonstrated less nausea and less dry retching, than those receiving Sham Acupuncture or no Acupuncture.

They concluded that Acupuncture for Morning Sickness treatment is an effective procedure for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy.

Furthermore, The Journal of Reproductive Medicine 2001, published a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of P-6 for the relief of Nausea and Vomiting in early pregnancy. Both this study and a similar one conducted by Dundee et al Evans et al 1993, conclusively showed that proper stimulation of the Acupunctue point P-6 reduced Nausea and Vomiting in patients.

So the proof as they say is in the pudding which you obviously dont have any intention of eating because you are so sick!! But try Acupuncture for your Morning sickness and start feeling well again.

Call me Mairead Fahy, Gorey on   0539483155 or 0876452409 if you have any queries relating to your Fertility and / or Morning Sickness. Ill be happy to talk to you.