Dr Michael Monk - Infertility Treatment

ACUPUNCTURE AND ELECTROACUPUNCTURE

There has been a great deal of research into acupuncture and electroacupuncture over the last 20 to 30 years and there is now a strong body of evidence showing what happens in your body when we use these approaches. Stimulating points or areas on the surface of your body, whether with needles or with electroacupuncture, sends signals to the spinal cord and then to the brain. There are some reflex changes at the spinal cord level which will have an effect on the functioning of the ovaries and uterus (for instance blood flow is increased which is thought to improve implantation).

The signals to the brain are more important and these lead to changes in an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a major control and processing centre. It helps to regulate hormone and immune function, through pathways influencing the pituitary (which governs the release of the hormones LH and FSH) and the ovaries, and also involving the adrenal glands.

These central effects (ie coming from the brain) include a reduction in sympathetic tone as part of a 'de-stressing effect' and this in turn also improves function at the ovary/uterus level.

Some of these central effects, through neuroimmune pathways, will alter immune responses in the body and this is thought to help reduce the likelihood of rejection and failure of implantation of the embryo.

Some of the effects of acupuncture which have been shown in research (and what they mean for you)

Improvements in GnRH, LH and estradiol = better hormone regulation and function
Improvement in conversion of testosterone to estradiol = better hormone control
Induction of ovulation = can start ovulation in about 80% of women who are not ovulating)
Improvement in ovarian morphology (appearance and quality) in PCOS = egg quality improves with repeated treatments which makes fertilisation, either naturally or with IVF, more likely
Improvements in uterine artery blood flow = probably important in improving implantation of the embryo
Improved immune responses = less likelihood of rejection of embryo and failure of implantation. (May be important in endometriosis-associated infertility)
Improvements in sperm quality, morphology, and motility = several studies have shown how effective acupuncture can be in making men more fertile.

These alterations all add up to improving your chances of becoming pregnant, whether you are trying 'naturally', or in combination with IVF, or if you have tried IVF and not been successful.

One treatment………
A single treatment with acupuncture/electroacupuncture at around the time of embryo transfer has been shown to significantly improve the success rates of IVF, and we recommend that all women who are having IVF do have a session of acupuncture around that time.

or several……….?
However, you can increase your chances even more with more treatments. We know from the research that the effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture gradually build up as you repeat the treatment. We also know that the effects are long lasting, so the benefits will persist over several or many months, after a course of treatment. The benefits are not limited to a single cycle as with IVF