New research supports acupuncture for fertility

A recent study exploring acupuncture for fertility concludes that adding acupuncture to lifestyle changes can halve the time taken to conceive.(S Cochrane, C A. Smith, A Possamai-Inesedy, and A Bensoussan, online 2016 May 3. doi: 10.1155/2016/3587569).

Infertility now affects approximately 1 in every 7 couples in the UK and the rate is steadily rising, so if you are having problems conceiving you are not alone. Due to modern life styles, more and more men and women are aiming to start a family at a later age and this is adding to infertility levels. Although many couples make lifestyle changes, such as improving their diets, to increase their chances of conceiving, few consider including acupuncture. More commonly women try acupuncture as part of IVF treatment, as it has been shown to increase success rates by 70% (S. Tang and L. Liang, BMJ, 2008 Feb), however this new study shows it is worth considering acupuncture well before reaching the point where IVF might be sort.

Additionally, because infertility increases with age, halving the time taken to conceive, by adding acupuncture, could also improve the prospects of having more children in the future.