British Fertility Society issues new guidelines on the use of acupuncture and herbal medicine in fertility treatment

The British Fertility Society have published a report stating that there is no evidence that acupuncture aids fertility treatment.

I feel that it is only fair to discuss some of the points commented on this report. I feel that a major flaw is that acupuncture has been treated in the same way that a clinical trial on a drug is conducted. It is very difficult to construct a scientific trial of acupuncture’s effectiveness as an any study would try to eliminate as many variables as possible, but many of those “variables” are part of the holistic approach of Chinese Medicine.

It can be argued that acupuncture is proven for it’s benefits in relaxation and stress relief so surely a woman receiving this treatment will have a secondary enhancement of their chance of conceiving by means of emotional support.

For example, Researchers at the Center for Integrative Medicine, at the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine, conducted a meta-analysis of several research studies on the effects of acupuncture on IVF outcomes.  The meta-analysis considered seven trials, which all together included 1,366 women. The relaxation response to acupuncture treatment was undisputed. Even in studies where acupuncture didn’t improve pregnancy rates, researchers noted that the patients were more relaxed and more optimistic after treatments.

This study also found that there does seem to be evidence that acupuncture performed on the day of embryo transfer may improve one’s chances of success.

I would also like to point out the fact that there has been no documented evidence that acupuncture has caused any harmful adverse effects for the treatment of any condition and I refute the claim that one must prove against this. In fact, the appealing aspect about this type of therapy is the complete absence of any side effects. It has always been known as a very safe treatment which has been practised for 1000′s of years!

There have been several more research studies carried out which are in favour of the acupuncture’s assistance in fertility issues which clearly shows evidence in favour of this treatment.

I would urge anyone looking into using acupuncture as a means to support them through conception to thoroughly read around the subject and to not solely accept the conclusion given by this one solitary press release.

In my practice, I have helped many women conceive whom have either had fertility issues; recurrent miscarriages or were undergoing the IVF process and my results show a high success rate. For more of an insight to how some of these patients have benefited, please see my testimonials page.