Acupuncture and in vitro fertilisation research: current and future directions.
CONCLUSION: Two to three acupuncture sessions performed on or around the day of embryo transfer are insufficient interventions to improve IVF birth outcomes but provide significant IVF-related stress reduction. Research investigating acupuncture to support IVF is heterogeneous and confounded by the lack of an appropriate comparator. However, evidence suggests several acupuncture sessions improve endometrial thickness, reduce stress, and improve patient satisfaction. Observational studies suggest more sessions are associated with increases in clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. An optimised acupuncture intervention with a reasonable comparator is necessary for future studies, with evidence-based guidance on technique and number of sessions. Acupuncture should not be rejected as an adjuvant therapy for IVF, but more studies are needed to clarify acupuncture's role in supporting IVF cycles.
PMID: 29440044 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Acupuncture in Medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Hullender Rubin LE, Anderson BJ, Craig LB Tags: Acupunct Med Source Type: research
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