With an estimated one in six UK couples having fertility problems, expensive and stressful IVF treatment is more popular than ever. However, recent studies have indicated that IVF treatments could be more successful if they are combined with acupuncture, a Chinese medicine that works by sticking needles into specific pressure points of the body.
Over the years, a number of scientists have studied the impact of acupuncture on fertility, but with mixed results. However, this latest research shows that acupuncture can definitely boost a couple’s chance of conception via IVF fertility treatment.
IVF treatment is time-consuming, costly and in many cases, unsuccessful. In fact, it’s estimated IVF has a success rate of just 15 per cent. Some couples without children are eligible for up to three cycles of IVF on the NHS, but the waiting list for this is lengthy. If couples decide to have the treatment privately, the cost for just one cycle is £2,500, which is an amount that many people find prohibitive. Because of this, the findings of this new research could revolutionise IVF and help more childless couples to have children.
The research, which was compiled by teams from Holland and the US, studied over 1,300 women and found that for every 10 cycles of IVF treatment, those that were combined with acupuncture would result in one extra pregnancy. The overall results, which were published in the British Medical Journal, clearly showed that women who underwent acupuncture were 65 per cent more likely to have successful IVF treatment.
One reason that acupuncture is believed to boost fertility and IVF treatments is because it is a great stress reliever. Although this sounds like an incredibly simplistic explanation, a respected fertility expert recently pointed out that many fertility problems stem from busy couples who don't have enough sex and women with tired and stressed-out bodies.
Sources:
Guardian
BBC
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