5 papers reviewed
Acupuncture & Fertility
2002 · prospective randomized trial · 1 of 5
Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy
Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, et al. · Fertility and Sterility
The landmark study: acupuncture 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer yielded 42.5% pregnancy rate vs 26.3% in controls. Established the widely-adopted Paulus protocol used in fertility clinics.
Read the paper ↗2019 · systematic review and meta-analysis · 2 of 5
Acupuncture performed around the time of embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Smith CA, Armour M, Shewamene Z, et al. · Reproductive Biomedicine Online
Across 20 trials (5,130 women), acupuncture increased pregnancies (RR 1.32) and live births (RR 1.30) vs no treatment. However, no significant differences vs sham acupuncture, suggesting potential non-specific effects.
Read the paper ↗1996 · prospective non-randomized · 3 of 5
Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture
Stener-Victorin E, Waldenstrom U, Andersson SA, Wikland M · Human Reproduction
Electro-acupuncture significantly reduced uterine artery pulsatility index (P<0.0001), improving endometrial blood flow. Effect persisted 10-14 days after treatment. Mechanism attributed to central sympathetic inhibition.
Read the paper ↗2023 · systematic review and meta-analysis · 4 of 5
Systematic review of acupuncture to improve ovarian function in women with poor ovarian response
Wang RR, Su MH, Liu LY, et al. · Frontiers in Endocrinology
Acupuncture significantly increased antral follicle count (MD=1.52, P<0.00001), reduced FSH, and improved endometrial thickness. Manual acupuncture was superior to electro-acupuncture for AMH and AFC improvement.
Read the paper ↗2013 · review · 5 of 5
Polycystic ovary syndrome: effect and mechanisms of acupuncture for ovulation induction
Johansson J, Stener-Victorin E · Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture may modulate sympathetic nervous system output and hypothalamic beta-endorphin levels, affecting GnRH and FSH release and restoring ovulatory function in PCOS. Beneficial effects on menstrual regularity.
Read the paper ↗A paper's presence documents the evidence reviewed; it does not mean Filia endorses every intervention or conclusion.