Acupuncture Increases Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) Pregnancy Rates

“Previous studies have shown that acupuncture promotes blood flow and regulates the nervous system; therefore, it is thought to be helpful on the day of embryo transfer to promote relaxation and decrease stress while encouraging blood flow to the uterus… Overall, individualized acupuncture performed on the day of embryo transfer was associated with statistically significantly higher pregnancy and clinical pregnancy rates.”

Read in full: Grimm, Lauren et al. – Fertility and Sterility, Volume 114

Acupuncture Associated with Significant Benefits to FET Patients

“Individualized acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer was associated with 55% increase in FET live births and 42% reduction in biochemical pregnancies compared with FET alone.”

Read in full: D.A.O.M., Kate Phillippi et al. – Fertility and Sterility, Volume 118

Acupuncture Increases IVF Live Birth Rates by Over 50%

In a 2022 large-scale meta-analysis, researchers compared all randomized controlled trials regarding acupuncture for individuals undergoing IVF. Reviewing 25 studies involving 4,757 participants, the analysis found that acupuncture patients saw a 52% increase in live birth rates over those given placebo treatment.

Read in full: Xu, Menghao et al. – Archives of gynecology and obstetrics vol. 309

Acupuncture Provides Support after Failed Cycles

“Recent meta-analyses found acupuncture is effective to increase the risk of live births by 30% when compared with no treatment in nine trials of 1,980 women… Additionally, acupuncture was 42% more effective to increase live births when women had previously failed a cycle, and baseline pregnancy rate continues to mediate acupuncture’s effects.”

Read in full: Hullender Rubin, Lee E. – Medical acupuncture vol. 31,6

Electro-Acupuncture Shown to Improve Implantation

“A randomized controlled study suggested that transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation improves implantation by enhancing endometrial receptivity though increased uterine blood flow and inhibition of uterine contractility through cyclooxygenase-2 suppression.”

Read in full: Feinberg, Eve C. et al. – Fertility and Sterility, Volume 116

Acupuncture Supports Infertility Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

“Acupuncture as adjunctive treatment could improve BMI, reduce the levels of LH, E₂ and T, increase ovulation reaction and effectively shorten reproduction cycles in infertility patients with PCOS.”

Read in full: Xu, Juan, and Yu Zuo. – Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion vol. 38,4

Chinese Herbal Medicine and Western Medical Technology Can Together Support Infertility Treatment

“Chinese Herbal Medicine is an effective therapy which appears to be show ability to support infertility treatment… Some researchers observe that combining CHM with Western medical technology or drugs can give better effects than either CHM or Western drugs alone.”

Read in full: Jiang D, Li L – Obstet Gynecol Int J 8

Evidence Supports Peripartum Use of Acupuncture and Acupressure

“There is substantial research evidence supporting acupuncture and its derivatives in the peripartum period. Benefits in the use of acupressure to reduce labor pain intensity and a reduction in the duration of labor with acupressure have been found.”

Read in full: Atkins, Kristin L et al. – Clinical obstetrics and gynecology vol. 64,3

Acupuncture Significantly Improves Depression and Stress Before Birth

“Findings suggest positive regulation of the HPA axis may be an underlying mechanism by which acupuncture provided the significant improvements to antenatal depression, stress, and distress…“

Read in full: Ormsby, Simone M et al. – Journal of integrative and complementary medicine vol. 30,2

Pre- and Post-Partum Acupuncture Supports A Positive Pregnancy Experience

“Acupuncture during pregnancy and the postpartum period can play a vital role in promoting a sense of wellness and positive pregnancy experiences.”

Read in full: Shrivastava, Saurabh & Bobhate, Prateek & Raharjo, Mira – The Nigerian postgraduate medical journal. 32. 

Acupuncture Significantly Improves Sleep Quality in Pregnant Women

“Acupuncture was shown to significantly improve the sleep quality in pregnant women, possibly through increasing melatonin secretion, and could be recommended as a low-cost and low-risk alternative treatment to pharmacological therapies.”

Read in full: Foroughinia, Saeedeh & Hessami et al. – Nature and Science of Sleep. 12. 271-278. 

Acupuncture Shown to Reduce Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy

“According to the current systematic review and meta-analysis, acupuncture combined with Western Medicine may be a more effective treatment for Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy (NVP) than Western Medicine alone… Current evidence supports the use of acupuncture in NVP treatment, as it has been demonstrated to be safe.”

Read in full: Jin, Bao et al. – Complementary therapies in medicine vol. 85

Acupuncture Provides Safe and Effective Relief for Acute Pain

“The majority of reviews found acupuncture therapy to be an efficacious strategy for acute pain, with potential to avoid or reduce opioid reliance.”

Read in full: Nielsen, Arya et al. – Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) vol. 23,9

Acupuncture Shown to Improve Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults

“According to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), older Americans with chronic low back pain who received acupuncture had greater improvement in physical function and reduced pain than those who received usual medical care only, generally prescribed medications or physical therapy. “

Read in full: DeBar LL, Wellman RD, Justice M, et al. – JAMA Netw Open.

Acupuncture Supports Treatment for Sleep Disorders

“Several in vivo and clinical investigations have shown that acupuncture has been shown to modulate sleep-related circadian rhythms… Under the regulation of the central and peripheral biological clock, acupuncture plays an important role in restoring circadian rhythms.”

Read in full: Wu, Junmei & Zhao, Zhengyu – Frontiers in Neuroscience. 18.

Significant Improvement in Insomnia Symptoms after Acupuncture

“Results suggest that insomnia patients may experience significant improvement in symptoms after more than three weeks of acupuncture treatment compared to pharmacological treatments.”

Read in full: Kim, Sung-A & Lee, et al – The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 49. 1-16. 

Evidence for Acupuncture Relief of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

“Acupuncture provided benefits when combined with treatment as usual, providing more options for the treatment of refractory IBS…  The study’s findings are a significant contribution to the field of integrative medicine, suggesting that acupuncture could be a viable adjunctive treatment for IBS patients who have not responded to conventional therapies.”

Read in full: Zhao, J., Zheng, H., Wang, X. et al. – Front. Med. 18

Study Reveals Acupuncture Effective in Pain Management for Advanced Cancer

“In this randomized clinical trial among patients with advanced cancer, both acupuncture and massage were associated with pain reduction and improved fatigue, insomnia, and quality of life…“

Read in full: Epstein AS, Liou KT, Romero SAD, et al. – JAMA Netw Open

Acupuncture Provides Significant Relief for Breast Cancer Patients

“Acupuncture led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in hot flashes, endocrine symptoms, and breast cancer-specific quality of life.”

Read in full: Lu, Weidong et al. – Cancer vol. 130

Acupuncture Reduces Pain and Anxiety in Surgery for Gynecologic Cancers

“The findings suggest that preoperative touch/relaxation and intraoperative acupuncture treatments were effective in reducing preoperative to postoperative anxiety and intraoperative acupuncture were effective in reducing postoperative severe pain.”

Read in full: Ben-Arye E, Segev Y, Galil G, et al. – Cancer. 2023

Further Reading:

• Acupuncture in Cancer Care: An overview by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
• Acupuncture for Neuropathy, Cancer Pain, Anxiety, and More: A discussion by Jun Mao, MD, MSCE, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)
• “Integrative oncology in cancer care: Reaching a tipping point”: Editorial by Ana Maria Lopez MD, MPH, MACP, FRC in Cancer Journal, Volume 129