Women's Health: IVF and TCM

More good news to report in the world of women’s health and complementary medicine. Studies conducted by German researchers indicated that women who used acupuncture as a complementary treatment in conjunction with in-vitro fertilization, commonly known as IVF, had a 42.5 percent success rate for getting pregnant.

In addition to aiding the patient’s ability to better respond to medication, acupuncture aids successful IVF results by increasing ovarian and pituitary hormones. Brian Winkels, author of Acupuncture and IVF - The Secret of Success went on to further explain that, “electro-acupuncture treatments have shown to result in better and improved flow of blood in the uterine arteries of women who are infertile.”

Acupuncture works in IVF because it helps create a more receptive environment in the uterus. Winkels reported that results from other research shows, “…women who have had problems with high FSH levels or who have had a miscarriage are being advised that acupuncture is the solution to their problems.”

Acupuncture treatments when used in this form of complementary medicine are recommended “on the afternoon before the transfer of their embryos, as well as on the afternoon or day after the transfer,” commented Winkels.