By Anna Pyne LAc MSOM

You may have read my recent post about an Ann Arbor study* that found electro-acupuncture, in conjunction with Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern diagnosis, achieved IVF success rates double that of the national average.   Because the results of this study are so striking, we wanted to take a closer look. 

What makes this study interesting is that it adheres to a main tenet of Traditional Chinese Medicine – that treatment is individualized according to a patient’s specific diagnosis, rather than a standardized protocol.  In this study, acupuncture points, chosen according to a patient’s traditional Chinese medicine pattern, were combined with electro-acupuncture and the researchers found the likelihood of a conception was greatly improved.  

The study compared three different groups of acupuncture patients all going through a typical medicated IVF cycle.  The first group was a traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) group, which used selective points based on the individual’s presenting pattern.   There were five different Chinese medical diagnostic patterns recognized and three to five points were selected for treatment based on each patient’s specific pattern.   The second group used electro-acupuncture (EA) based off of points used in a previous Swedish study done by Stener-Victorin et al which was published in Human Reproduction**.  The third group used a combination of both TCA and EA. Acupuncture intervention for all groups consisted of a minimum of 12 treatments, two per week, prior to embryo transfer.  

The frequency of treatment in this study is higher than many other studies (including the Sterner-Victorin study which used 8 sessions)  looking at acupuncture and IVF.  Patients had a minimum of 12 sessions (2 per week) prior to transfer and about half of the patients had more than 13 treatments.   All groups had IVF conception rates higher than the national average, but it was the third group that had the best outcome with an 81% success rate. The first group (TCA only) had a 64% success rate and the second group (EA only) had a 63% success rate.

Now, in case you’re a bit freaked out by the term “electro-acupuncture,”  I’d like to take a moment to dispel your fears.  Electro-acupuncture is a technique where a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine is attached with small clips directly to acupuncture needles. When electricity is applied to the needles, the sensation is that of a light tapping.  Some patients have even asked me if I’m tapping them with my finger when I’ve used EA on them, but I’m not, that’s simply the sensation caused by the TENS machine.  It’s a comfortable feeling that is kept constant during the entire treatment session. By stimulating the points we are further enhancing their function, thereby intensifying the effect of treatment.

These results from the Ann Arbor study show the importance of using a differential traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis with the benefit of the added stimulation from the electro-acupuncture. I have seen this to be true empirically in my fertility practice so when this study came out it was especially exciting to see that it affirms my practical experience.

Please feel free post your comments and questions! 

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acu.2009.0692* http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/11/6/1314**

By Anna Pyne LAc MSOM

A recent study entitled “Acupuncture as an Adjunct to In Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Trial” was published in the journal Medical Acupuncture showing that electro-acupuncture used in conjunction with Traditional Chinese Acupuncture doubled the pregnancy success rates of IVF patients as compared to the national average of patients undergoing IVF.*    The study was conducted at Acupuncture and Chinese Medical Center in Ann Arbor Michigan using a total of 52 IVF patients with the average age of 38 years.  The patients in the study were randomly divided into three different groups:  1) traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) plus electro-acupuncture (EA), 2) TCA-only, or 3) EA-only.   All patients also underwent “standard IVF medication regimen.”   The authors of this study did not include an IVF-only control group and compared their treatment outcomes to average U.S. IVF success rates. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention the average success rate of IVF alone is about 40%.  In this study all groups had higher IVF success rates than the average U.S. success rate, and the improvement was greatest when TCA and EA were used in conjunction.  The authors conclude a “marked increase with the combination of TCA and EA (81.8% success rate)”!*  The TCA alone group had a 64% success rate, and the EA alone group had a 63% success rate.  The points used in the TCA and EA group were determined based upon the patient’s individual traditional Chinese medical diagnosis.  This study proves that traditional Chinese acupuncture in combination with electro-acupuncture “…is a promising new technique for the treatment of infertility with a higher IVF success rate than that of TCA or EA alone.”*   

While this study would have been strengthened by the addition of an IVF-only control group, the findings of this study are supportive of the growing body of evidence that treatment with Traditional Chinese Acupuncture does increase a woman’s chances of conception with IVF. 

*Medical Acupuncture Volume 21, Number 3, 2009 “Acupuncture as An Adjunct to In Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Trial”