There is growing evidence that acupuncture can greatly increase a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant. Rowan Pelling is not surprised – she has first-hand experience of the link between fertility and needles

I was last in the queue for the BCG jab at school and am not the sort of person who generally embraces needles. So it’s with considerable surprise that I have had to admit that acupuncture works for me. Over the four years I have received treatment, I have discovered its efficacy in all manner of areas, none more so than in boosting fertility.

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Full article here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/feb/19/health1

With warm Wishes

Melanie

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A DELIGHTED couple are enjoying life with their own little miracle – and say it is all thanks to acupuncture.

Beth Lakelin, 38, from Belle Vue, Shrewbury, had been trying to conceive with partner Stephen Coales, 41, for two years.

Doctor said the couple were medically sound but Beth feared her age was curbing her attempts to conceive.

In frustration she visited Dr Daian Zou at St John’s Hill Clinic for Chinese Medicine in Shrewsbury and fell pregant after just three sessions.

Baby Olive was born in November.

Beth told Shrewsbury Living: “It was really frustrating that I wasn’t getting pregnant.  I felt like my clock was ticking. I wasn’t in my 20s anymore. During the second year when nothing had happened we went to get checked out and ensure there were no fertility problems. We were both absolutely fine which gave us peach of mind.

Next I made some lifestyle changes and cut out caffeine and alcohol from my diet, but still nothing happened”.

Beth, who also has a 16-year-old daughter Georgia, made an appointment with Dr. Zou and was delighted when she fell pregnant three weeks later.

Baby Oliver and mum

“I couldn’t believe it had worked and so quickly too”, said Beth.

“She entered needles into my head, lower abdomen, legs and feet and I really do believe that it boosted something”.

Acupuncture is a 5,000-year-old practice originating from China whereby thin needles are inserted into the body at precise points to unblock energy channels.

Dr Zou, who lives with husband, Ben Wu, 37, and daughter Luxi, six, and son Tao, three, says she has helped nine women in two years to conceive.

She said:” each session is custom-made for the client. I get a whole picture of the person. I have to balance the hormones and stimulate the blood flow into the ovaries and female organs to create a healthy environment for a pregnancy.”

She added: “People come here as a last resort and I’m glad I can help them. You get a lot of satisfaction from this job”.

On the other hand, acupuncture has not been proven to be effective when structural problems, such as an improperly formed epididymis or a blocked fallopian tube, are the cause of infertility.

Acupuncture and Female Infertility
Many women chose acupuncture infertility treatment either on its own or in conjunction with assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures, such as IVF.

Studies have proved the effectiveness of acupuncture for infertility. A 2004 study conducted by the Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Center in Colorado found that 51% of women who underwent both IVF and acupuncture treatment at the same time became pregnant, while only 36% of those who only underwent IVF did. The latter group also had higher rates of miscarriage stillbirth (20%) compared to those women who had received acupuncture (8%).

Acupuncture and Male Infertility
Men can also use acupuncture to treat their fertility problems, including erectile dysfunction or sperm health problems, such as low sperm count.

Also, a 2005 study conducted by Shanghai University in China found that acupuncture also helped treat male infertility. Of the men who participated, those who had acupuncture had an increased percentage of sperm in their semen; their sperm structure and morphology was also healthier than their counterparts who did not undergo acupuncture infertility treatment.

The collection of herbs that are used for the purpose of aiding fertility comprises of well over 150 different herbs. Each formula contains up to fifteen or more ingredients. These formulas can help cope with an organic or functional problem that causes infertility.

Over the years the formulas were modified by practitioners based on experiments and the results that were obtained. There are some Chinese herbs however that have gained preference in this case. Similarly there are certain formulas that are recommended by the Chinese medicine practitioners.

One of the things that contributes to the variations in formulas for treating infertility is that Chinese medicine takes the specific condition of the patient into account when prescribing a herbal remedy. Hence the various formulas came into being as they were catering to patients with different disorders.

The prominent materials that make up herbal formulas include materials that are derived from barks, roots, flowers, leaves and fruits of plants. Fertility formulas cater to both men and women and vary accordingly. Some exotic materials like sea horse and deer antlers are also used along with herbs.

Using Chinese herbs

Generally fertility formulas are now widely available and can be readily purchased in China. This is recommended for ordinary cases. In cases where infertility is persistent it is advised to consult an expert practitioner of Chinese herbs. The availability of Chinese fertility herbal formulas outside of China is limited although their popularity is slowly and gradually increasing. Generally they are prescribed by medical experts in Chinese herbology.

Today patients will be able to find these formulas in various different forms such as pills, granules, tablets and teas. Generally the treatment is based upon the use of a single herb combination. Depending on the condition of the patient however two or three herbal combinations may also be prescribed.

Success with Chinese fertility herbs

Success with Chinese fertility herbs depends on finding the right kind of herb combination for which one needs to consult a medical expert who has knowledge about Chinese herbs. The other thing to ensure is to stick to the recommended dosage for the prescribed period of time.

In general the fertility formulas are prescribed to be used on a daily or periodic basis. The desired results are usually achieved within a span of three to six months. Doctors suggest waiting for a maximum of nine months to see if fertility will be restored after which they say that it is unlikely for the treatment to work.

Statistics show that one third of infertility cases do not get restored. The good thing about making use of Chinese fertility herbs is that even if they fail to restore your fertility they will load you up on a number of health benefits.

Here is a list of One-Stop Fertility Test places in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Please send us your contact information if you want to be listed here:

A “One-Stop” Fertility Test was pioneered by Dr.Nargund and her team in 2001 .It can be done at lunch hour or within an hour.

This test is done using out-patient advanced 3D-Doppler ultrasound scan to check the lining of your womb, ovarian reserve (reserve of eggs) and to check the blood flow to your ovaries and womb. You may require an additional blood test to check the hormone Anti Mullarian Hormone. The test is non-invasive done with a simple ultrasound scan. A tubal patency test (to check that fallopian tubes are open) called “HycoSy” can also be performed at the same time if necessary.

This test is not painful as the X-Ray test HSG (HysteroSalpingography) .Since there is no exposure to x Rays; it allows you to try for a pregnancy in the same cycle

It is simply aimed at checking the Seed, Soil and Passage involved in Conception.

The detailed 3D –Doppler ultrasound scan is used to examine the following:

• The Size of your ovaries
• Antral Follicle Count (egg sacs) in your ovaries
• The Blood Flow to your ovaries
• The inside cavity of your womb and the lining of your womb
• For Fibroids or other problems with your womb
• The blood flow to your womb and the lining of your womb
• The Fallopian tubes for patency

You are required to take antibiotics two days before the test if you would like your fallopian tubes tested. There is no need for antibiotics if you are having an “ovarian reserve” scan. The research shows that if blood flow to your ovaries is good, you are more likely to produce good quality eggs and similarly if the blood flow to your womb is adequate, you are more likely to conceive and furthermore less likely to miscarry. Recent scientific research also confirms that ovarian follicle count; size and blood flow can indicate quantity and quality of eggs…

Profile of the Author: This article is written by Geeta Nargund , FRCOG, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at Create Health Clinic, Harley Street, London.

Former Cambridge physiologist Prof Robert Edwards, now 85, developed the fertility treatment that led to the birth of the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown in 1978.

Together with his colleague Dr Patrick Steptoe, a gynaecologic surgeon, they created the technique of fertilising human eggs outside the body before implanting in the womb. Dr Steptoe died in 1988.

As well as leading to a host of new treatments for infertility, the work also founded the principles behind stem cell research, cloning and techniques that would allow couples to prevent passing on inheritable diseases to their children.

Christer Höög, professor of molecular biology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and a member of the Nobel Prize Committee, said the birth represented a “paradigm shift”

“It showed for the first time that it is possible to treat infertility,” he said.

Prof Edwards’ work was highly controversial at the time and there was strong opposition to what was seen as ‘playing God’ and the research had to be privately funded.

However IVF has now become routine around the world with more than four million babies worldwide using the technique and developments from it.

Louise Brown and others born as a result of the technique have had children of their own conceived naturally.

Louise, who had a son in 2007, said: “Its fantastic news, me and mum are so glad that one of the pioneers of IVF has been given the recognition he deserves. We hold Bob in great affection and are delighted to send our personal congratulations to him and his family at this time.”

Mike Macnamee, chief executive of Bourn Hall, near Cambridge, the IVF clinic which Edwards and Steptoe founded, said: “Bob Edwards is one of our greatest scientists. His inspirational work in the early ’60s led to a breakthrough that has enhanced the lives of millions of people worldwide.

“Bob Edwards is held in great affection by everyone that has worked with him and was treated by him. I am really pleased that my great mentor, colleague and friend has been recognised in this way.”

Prof Edwards, who is understood to be too ill to speak about the Nobel Prize has in the past said: “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.”

One of his proudest moments was discovering that 1,000 IVF babies had been born at Bourn Hall since Louise Brown.

He has recalled the thrill of relaying this to a seriously ill Dr Steptoe, shortly before Dr Steptoe’s death. “I’ll never forget the look of joy in his eyes,” Prof Edwards has said.

Martin Johnson, Professor of Reproductive Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said: “I am absolutely delighted. This is long overdue.

“Bob’s work has always been controversial but he has never shrunk from confronting that controversy.

“He was a real visionary, and always ahead of his time on so many issues – not just IVF – also on pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in the 60s, stem cells in the 70s, and the whole process of thinking ethically.

“He is also an amazing human being – warm and generous. He was shocked when the MRC accused him of behaving unethically because everything he has done was based on a very clear set of humanist and ethical principles. It has taken 20 or 30 years for some people to catch up with him.”

Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at University of Sheffield: “I am absolutely delighted and overwhelmed to hear this news and it is long overdue.

“Bob was a visionary and worked hard to develop IVF in a time when so many were against him.

“It is a tribute to his tenacity that he persevered in his research and as a consequence has changed the lives of millions across the world. My only sadness is that Bob’s failing health may mean that he is less able to enjoy this award than he once was. This is a great day for him.”

Prof Edwards has been studying animal and human reproduction since the 1950s when he teamed up with Dr Patrick Steptoe at his clinic in Oldham in 1968.

Together they were the first to successfully fertilise a human egg outside the body.

Their basic science led to many discoveries about human reproduction including how eggs mature, how their growth is regulated by different hormones and when in their development they can be fertilised with sperm.

However, it would take almost another decade before they were ready to attempt to implant a fertilised egg in a woman.

They encountered problems in encouraging the fertilised egg to begin to divide – a process vital for human life to begin and the egg to become an embryo.

Prof Edwards suspected that the eggs needed to be mature before they were fertilised and that this process occurred in the ovaries.

Eventually they were able to harvest human eggs and sperm at the right times, keep them alive outside the body in a dish and mix them together so that the sperm fertilised an egg. The resulting fertilised egg then began to divide and was implanted in the womb.

The first attempts to implant the resulting embryos in a woman were made in 1972 but there were repeated failures.

In 1978 they were successful and Louise Brown was born on July 25th. She was dubbed the first ‘test-tube’ baby although the process actually occurs in a dish.

Prof Edwards became affectionately known as the ‘father of IVF’ and went on to further develop and share the technique.

The pair founded the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge two years after Louise Brown was born and began treating infertile couples.

The basic IVF technique has led to a host of new treatments for infertility and has allowed fertile couples carrying inheritable diseases to avoid passing them on to their children.

Prof Edwards work also led to discoveries about stem cells and cloning.

Acupuncture, which involves inserting fine needles under the skin at particular points in the body depending on the condition being treated, has long been used in China to help with a range of diagnoses, including regulating female reproduction.

To establish how effective the treatment is, doctors in the US collated evidence from all relevant, well-conducted studies and published their conclusions in today’s British Medical Journal.

Eric Manheimer, research associate at the centre for integrative medicine at the University of Maryland school of medicine and colleagues looked at seven studies. All had been published in English since 2002 and conducted in four different western countries. The trials involved 1,366 women undergoing in vitro fertility treatment – where eggs and sperm are removed and mixed in the laboratory and one or more resulting embryos returned to the womb.

In the trials some women were given genuine acupuncture, others “sham” acupuncture, such as putting needles in the wrong places, and some no treatment at all. Overall the genuine acupuncture improved a woman’s chances of pregnancy by 65%. All the acupuncture took place within a day or so of embryo transfer. Not all the pregnancies would have resulted in a live birth. In trials where the clinic’s pregnancy rate was already high, there was a smaller, non-significant increase. Manheimer said the results were not necessarily a reason for every infertile woman to seek out acupuncture.

“I think the findings should be regarded as somewhat preliminary,” he said. “Acupuncture can improve the rates of pregnancy and live birth. Some couples might want to choose acupuncture but others might want to wait until further research has been done.”

But Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary medicine at the Peninsula medical school, Exeter, urged caution. “IVF may not seem to be ‘placebo-prone’ but it probably is: if women expect it to be helpful they are more relaxed, which in turn would affect pregnancy rates.”

Manheimer argued a placebo response was unlikely, arguing that acupuncture may stimulate the body to produce neurotransmitters which influence the menstrual cycle, ovulation and fertility.

Original Article can be found at The Guardian’s Health Page