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IVF treatment is a ray of hope for couples grappling with infertility. During IVF, a woman’s eggs are removed from her body and fertilized in a controlled environment (in a lab). Once the eggs start growing, they are transferred to the woman’s uterus for potential embryo development.
Studies suggest that acupuncture for women’s health in San Francisco may raise the success of IVF treatment by 65 percent. No wonder many IVF clinics and doctors recommend using acupuncture as an adjunct to IVF. Several IVF clinics even offer onsite acupuncture for the day of embryo transfer.
Acupuncture and IVF
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that acupuncture boosts pregnancy rates. In 2002, a study was conducted on 160 women undergoing IVF treatment. The participants were divided into two groups. One group was given acupuncture, while the other group did not receive acupuncture.
Researchers reported that participants who received acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer had a pregnancy rate of 42.5 percent, while women in the control group that did not receive acupuncture had a pregnancy rate of just 26.3 percent.
How Acupuncture Helps Improve IVF Success Rates
Acupuncture can help improve IVF success rates by:

• Increasing blood flow to the ovaries and uterus
• Correcting hormonal imbalances
• Reducing inflammation
• Calming the central nervous system
• Lowering cortisol levels (the fight or flight/stress hormone)
• Alleviating side effects of IVF treatment
• Reducing stress and anxiety

Acupuncture for Fertility: General Guidelines
Egg Retrieval Preparation

• Eight weeks before egg retrieval: Get acupuncture treatment every week
• Two weeks before egg retrieval: Get acupuncture treatment biweekly
• 3-5 days after egg retrieval: Recovery treatment

Frozen Embryo Transfer

• Eight weeks before frozen embryo transfer: Get acupuncture treatment every week (total: eight sessions)
• Four weeks before FET: Get acupuncture treatment biweekly (total: eight sessions)
• Day of frozen embryo transfer: Pre and post FET treatment

Acupuncture to Support a Healthy Pregnancy
Recommended acupuncture treatment schedule:

• Trimester-1: Get acupuncture treatment every week. Your acupuncturist will use different techniques to improve the uterine blood supply. During the first trimester of their pregnancy, many women experience nausea, fatigue, and anxiety. Fortunately, acupuncture can help alleviate these symptoms
• Trimester-2: Frequency of sessions can be reduced to once a month (unless you are still experiencing some symptoms/complications)
• Trimester-3: Start weekly/biweekly treatment (starting at week 32). Acupuncture can help breech babies turn, alleviate pelvic and low back pain, reduce inflammation and carpal tunnel pain, and prepare the body for labor

Anchor Acupuncture & Wellness is a top-rated acupuncture clinic in San Francisco. Our pregnancy success rate is approximately 80 percent. We use the healing power of acupuncture to help couples with fertility issues conceive. To make an appointment, call us at 415-855-3112.