Traditional Chinese Medicine has treated both female and male infertility for over two thousand years. With a cultural and social emphasis on family, TCM naturally developed rapidly in the area of fertility treatments. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is used extensively in infertility treatments along with lifestyle and dietary considerations, massage, exercise, and relaxation techniques.  The Riverside Acupuncture & Wellness Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, offers these modalities to all seeking to enhance their fertility

For a couple starting a family, receiving a diagnosis of infertility can be devastating. Many people turn to A.R.T. (Assisted Reproductive Technology), while others seek alternative approaches. Whether you are taking a modern approach (IVF, IUI, IVM, ICSI), or want a more natural approach, Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can increase your chances of becoming pregnant and having a child in the following ways¹ :

• Improve the function of the ovaries to produce higher quality eggs;
• Regulate the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles;
• Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the uterine lining;
• Improve sperm volume, count, motility and morphology;
• Strengthen the immune system;
• Decrease stress;
• Decrease the chances of a miscarriage.

In the last 10 years, the use of Acupuncture in conjunction with ART has received much interest. Clinical trials as to the efficacy of combining these two therapies have been carried out in Europe, China, and the United States; these trial are ongoing. The following reports come out of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s Fertility and Sterility Journal².

• TCM can improve the fertilization in fresh cycles of IVF/ICSI.
• Implementation and “take-home babies” were significantly higher with electro-acupuncture than without.
• Acupuncture on the day of ET (embryo transfer) significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF/ICSI, compared with no acupuncture.
• Acupuncture seems to be a powerful tool to improve pregnancy rate in ART.
• Preliminary data shows a statistically significant improvement in the biochemical pregnancy rate with acupuncture treatment. Additionally, acupuncture was associated with a strong trend towards higher clinical pregnancy rates and take home baby rates.

1. Rosenwaks, Z., Chung, P.H., Chang, R., Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, New York Cornell Medical Center, April, 2003.

2. Paulus M.D., Wolfgang E., et. al. “Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproductive therapy”, Fertility and Sterility, vol. 77. no. 4, April 2002, Elsevier, Inc.

“Fertility and Sterility”, vol. 85, Issue 5, May 2006, pages 1341-1358.