Acupuncture therapy is a traditional Chinese treatment which has been known to treat a wide variety of conditions. Although there is little significant evidence or medical acceptance of this treatment, many people claim it has the ability to effectively treat pain [1]. In addition, numerous studies have been conducted in order to find the etiological importance of this treatment but it still remains unclear. However, it is interesting to see the associations and it gives patients an alternative technique to experiment with.
For instance, a review study analyzed acupuncture studies done in the past to make associations between having a baby through in vitro fertilization and getting acupuncture therapy before and after the treatment.
Cumulatively, it has been found that the findings were clinically and significantly relevant but still very preliminary. The study reviewed 1366 women in four western countries and these women received acupuncture therapy right before and after IVF embryo transfer. Among women who got acupuncture and IVF, the rates of getting pregnant were 65% higher and the rates of live births were nearly twice as high among women who got IVF with acupuncture [2]. As the interest in this form of therapy grows, more research into the applications for acupuncture will reveal the nuances of this option.
[1] How acupuncture can relieve pain and improve sleep, digestion and emotional well-being. UC San Diego: Center for Integrative Medicine. Retrieved from: http://cim.ucsd.edu/clinical-care/acupuncture.shtml
[2] Acupuncture for In Vitro Fertilization. WebMD. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20080207/acupuncture-for-in-vitro-fertilization