Sample Treatment Plans
Every acupuncture treatment plan will be customized to address the individualized patient’s needs. One theme that is common throughout the different scenarios depicted below is the need to begin acupuncture before the month of assisted reproductive therapy. Eggs begin their maturation 90 days before they are chosen for ovulation so it is during that 3 months when their health can be affected. It is highly advisable to have a consultation 2-3 months before an IVF or medicated cycle so that diet, lifestyle and exercise changes can be made in advance and the body may create a foundation for a healthier, more balanced state of fertility.

Clomid Cycle

• It is optimal to begin treatment 1 session per week 2 months in advance to optimize hormonal balance and regulate any menstrual disorders such as heavy or light periods, scanty cervical fluid, delayed ovulation, etc.
• 1-2 treatments per week during the Clomid and follicular development phase of the cycle to enhance follicle growth, egg health and endometrial lining.
• 1 treatment 5-7 days after ovulation to relax the uterus during implantation time.
It is often the case that women will notice thinning or nonexistent cervical fluid and scantier periods during or after repeated Clomid cycles. These symptoms and the feeling of hot flashes or headaches is a side-effect of the medication which interferes with your body’s ability to produce adequate levels of estrogen. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can correct this imbalance quickly and efficiently and it is highly recommended that women seek treatment for this before moving on to more advanced reproductive therapies such as injectable medications. Re-establishing your natural estrogen and FSH pathways is extremely important to the health of the eggs and plays a large role in sustaining future pregnancies achieved with IVF or IUI.

Gonadotropin/Injectable Medication Cycle with or without IUI

• It is optimal to begin treatment 1 session per week 2 months in advance to optimize hormonal balance and regulate any menstrual disorders such as heavy or light periods, scanty cervical fluid, delayed ovulation, etc.
• 1-2 treatments per week during the injectable medications to enhance follicle growth, egg health and endometrial lining.
• 1 treatment the day before or day of the IUI
• 1 treatment 5-7 days after ovulation to relax the uterus during implantation time.

Women taking injectable medications are monitored with ultrasounds and bloodwork during the follicular phase of the cycle. This information will help the acupuncturist determine the exact timing and extent of the treatments necessary to enhance the cycle. If the woman is responding poorly to the medications, more acupuncture treatments can help boost follicular growth, likewise if the cycle is going well, less treatments may be advised. The acupuncture during this kind of cycle will also help to neutralize any side-effects and promote deep relaxation.

In Vitro Fertilization Cycle

• It is optimal to begin treatment 1 session per week 2 months in advance to optimize hormonal balance and regulate any menstrual disorders such as heavy or light periods, scanty cervical fluid, delayed ovulation, etc.
• Depending on the cycle schedule determined by your RE, 1 session per week will be advised during Birth Control pills and/or the Lupron portion of the cycle.
• 1-2 treatments per week during the stimulation medications to enhance follicle growth, egg health and endometrial lining as well as promote general relaxation.
• Treatments during and after egg retrieval are generally not necessary except in cases of elevated discomfort or stress.
• Treatment the day before or the day of the embryo transfer to eliminate fallopian tube and uterine contractions and promote general relaxation. On-site treatment at the fertility clinic both before and after the embryo transfer has been shown in a study to improve success rates by 40%. These treatments were designed for a study and it is not necessarily true that the acupuncture must be directly before and after transfer to have the desired effect. The benefits of acupuncture last for many hours and days beyond the treatment time and sessions the day before or the day of appear to be just as beneficial. Your acupuncturist can discuss what the best choice is for your case.

• 1 treatment 5-7 days after the transfer to relax the uterus during implantation time.
It is advised that the couple or woman meet with an acupuncturist as early as 3 months before the start of the IVF cycle. Discussion of fertility history and current needs will determine an individual treatment plan for each patient. Listed above is a general description of the kinds and types of treatments available to patients and may not be appropriate for every woman.

Frozen Embryo Transfer Cycle

• It is optimal to begin treatment 1 session per week 2 months in advance to optimize hormonal balance and regulate any menstrual disorders such as heavy or light periods, scanty cervical fluid, delayed ovulation, etc.
• 1 treatment per week during the estrogen phase to enhance hormonal balance and endometrial lining and also promote general relaxation.
• Treatment the day before or the day of the embryo transfer to eliminate fallopian tube and uterine contractions and promote general relaxation. On-site treatment at the fertility clinic both before and after the embryo transfer has been shown in a study to improve success rates by 40%. These treatments were designed for a study and it is not necessarily true that the acupuncture must be directly before and after transfer to have the desired effect. The benefits of acupuncture last for many hours and days beyond the treatment time and sessions the day before or the day of appear to be just as beneficial. Your acupuncturist can discuss what the best choice is for your case.
• 1 treatment 5-7 days after the transfer to relax the uterus during implantation time.

Frozen embryo transfer cycles are generally less stressful on the body but much more stressful emotionally. Acupuncture can continue to support the quality of the endometrial lining and overall hormonal balance. These positive effects are in part accomplished by keeping stress within lower limits. Increasing endorphins during acupuncture neutralizes the negative effects created by cortisol and other stress hormones. By promoting relaxation on both emotional and physiologic levels, you are giving your body the best opportunity to naturally take over and nourish a pregnancy.

Natural Fertility Treatment

Acupuncture can be used as a natural approach to fertility without the use of western medical interventions. An acupuncture treatment plan will be designed after an initial consultation. A normal course of treatment will span 3-6 months and will focus on correcting any ovulatory imbalances or reproductive issues such as cysts, fibroids or endometriosis. Herbal medicines are generally used to assist with this process. It is preferable to treat both partners, as most fertility issues are not found in just the male or just the female within the couple. Male fertility issues such as low count, low motility or poor morphology can be treated through diet and lifestyle modifications as well as regular acupuncture to balance hormones and boost fertility.

Published Research
Influence of Acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproductive therapy.
i Fertility & Sterility, Vol.77, No.4, April 2002.

His study found that in a group of 160 women – 80 who were treated with acupuncture before and after the embryo transfer phase of IVF had a 15.8% increase in success rate with implantation of the embryo. This is based on the theory that acupuncture relaxes the Central Nervous System and keeps the uterus from contracting during and after the procedure. This significant effect of acupuncture was re-confirmed in 2006 as Fertility & Sterility published two similar studies that showed a 13% and 18% implantation success rate in the acupuncture groups over the control.

Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertility women with electro-acupuncture.
i Human Reproduction, Vol.11, No.6, 1996.

His study established that local acupuncture with electro-stimulation could normalize the blood flow to the reproductive organs, particularly useful in older women, ‘poor responders’ and women with thin endometrial lining. Treatments were given twice a week for 4 weeks leading up to an IVF cycle and tests revealed that the uterine artery blood flow increased dramatically within this time and led to a thicker endometrial lining in the women. A similar study showed this treatment increased the number of follicles significantly in women who had been labeled ‘poor responders.’ Acupuncture treatment for infertile women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Dr. Sandra L. Emmons, Dr. Phillip Patton, Medical Acupuncture, A Journal for Physicians by Physicians Spring/Summer 2000 Vol.12,No.3

Poor Prognosis: A Cure?
i Fertility & Sterility, Vol. 81, Supplement 3, April 2004.
his study combined the first two protocols mentioned here and administered acupuncture to women who were considered poor prognosis- high FSH, low uterine blood flow, etc. The women who received acupuncture were found to then have pregnancy rates equal to that of the good prognosis patients and then they went on to show that the acupuncture group had a higher live birth rate than the good prognosis patients.

Effect of acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from subfertility related to low sperm quality.
iterman S, Eltes F, Wolfson V, Zabludovsky N, Vartoov B. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel. Archives of Andrology, 1997 Sep-Oct;39(2):155-61

His study reported that after 5 weeks of treatment twice/week, men with considerable sperm impairment had increased their fertility significantly. Improvements were seen in total functional sperm, percentage of viability, total motile spermatozoa and integrity of the axonema. This study confirms that acupuncture can significantly improve sperm motility.
Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.
ian Pei, Ph.D., Erwin Strehler, M.D., Ulrich Noss, M.D., Markus Abt, Ph.D., Paola Piomboni, Ph.D., Baccio Baccetti, Ph.D., and Karl Sterzik, M.D. Fertility & Sterility 2005;84:141–7.
His study showed that subfertile men who received acupuncture treatments twice/week for 5 weeks had the following results:

• Median percentage and number of healthy sperm in the total ejaculate increased with significant improvements in acrosome and nuclear position and shapes.
• Progressively motile sperm increased from a mean percentage of 44.5% to 50% due to the improvement of axonemal pattern, axonemal shape and accessory fibers.

The significance of this study is that it demonstrates the effects of acupuncture treatment on sperm by pinpointing the molecular changes that take place. Previous studies by the same group showed that acupuncture improves sperm quality, fertilization rate and pregnancy rate in ART