Acupuncture of Iowa Iowa City header flower

Get The Help You Need! Call (319) 341-0031

Menu
Call (319) 341-0031

pregnancy

Benefits of Acupuncture for Women’s Health

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Acupuncture of Iowa Iowa City home slider happy people kiteBackground
Acupuncture, a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine, has been increasingly recognized for its potential benefits in women’s health. This ancient practice involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body to balance the body’s energy flow, or qi. While initially viewed with skepticism in the Western medical community, growing evidence supports its efficacy in addressing a variety of women’s health issues.
One of the most well-researched areas is acupuncture’s role in managing menstrual disorders. Studies have shown that acupuncture can alleviate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation). By targeting specific points, acupuncture may help regulate hormone levels, reduce pain, and improve overall menstrual health. This is particularly beneficial for women seeking a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals.

Fertility
Acupuncture has also been found effective in addressing fertility issues. It can enhance blood flow to the reproductive organs, reduce stress, and regulate ovulation, potentially increasing the chances of conception. Many fertility clinics now incorporate acupuncture as a complementary therapy to conventional treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Research indicates that women undergoing IVF who receive acupuncture may have higher success rates compared to those who do not.
Pregnancy-related conditions are another area where acupuncture has shown promise. It can help alleviate common symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, back pain, and fatigue. Additionally, some studies suggest that acupuncture may reduce the duration of labor and decrease the need for medical interventions during childbirth.

Hormone balancing
Menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, can also be managed with acupuncture. By stimulating specific points, acupuncture may help balance the body’s hormones and improve overall well-being during this transition.

Summary
Acupuncture offers a holistic and non-invasive approach to managing various women’s health issues. The Benefits of acupuncture of Women’s health are many: it can help menstrual disorders, enhance fertility, alleviate pregnancy-related discomforts, and ease menopausal symptoms and this makesit a valuable addition to women’s healthcare. As research continues to validate its effectiveness, acupuncture is likely to become an increasingly integrated part of comprehensive women’s health care plans.

Acupuncture Increases Fertility Treatment Success

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Acupuncture Increases Fertility Treatment Success

Acupuncture improves in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET) success rates. Qingdao University researchers conducted a controlled clinical trial and confirmed that acupuncture reduces failed embryo implantation rates.  Findings include increases in good-quality embryo rates, endometrial receptivity, improvements in serological sex hormone levels, and the addition of acupuncture to standard ovulation stimulation drug therapy reduced the adverse effect rate of the drug therapy. [1]

In this study, transvaginal ultrasound was utilized to examine endometrial quality, for predicting endometrial receptivity.[2] The Qingdao University researchers confirm that acupuncture increases the rate of positive patterns of endometrial health.

Acupuncture increased good quality embryo rates and regulated pregnancy-related hormones. The rate of good quality embryos in the acupuncture treatment group was significantly higher than in the drug therapy control group.

Discussion
The researchers cite independent scientific research demonstrating that failed embryo implantation plays an important role in perpetuating infertility. For example, Norwitz et al. note that “Of the pregnancies that are lost, 75 percent represent a failure of implantation.” They determine that “Failed implantation is also a major limiting factor in assisted reproduction.” They explain, “Though high-quality embryos can often be transferred into the uterus, only a few embryos can successfully be implanted during the IVF-ET cycle.” [7] The results indicate that acupuncture combined with the long drug therapy into an integrated treatment protocol is more effective than long drug therapy. Chen et al. conclude that acupuncture increases the success rate of IVF-ET.

This study was conducted to determine whether acupuncture can improve endometrial receptivity and benefit IVF-ET outcomes.

The researchers note, “A better understanding of acupuncture mechanisms responsible for implantation may improve the ability to treat disorders related to these processes, including infertility.” They learned that the adverse effect rate was significantly reeduced in the acupuncture group versus the drug group. Given the sophistication of the multi-drug fertility protocol, it is not surprising that the need for monitoring and treating adverse effects is of concern. The data indicates that acupuncture benefits positive patient outcomes rates while simultaneously reducing adverse effects, indicating that acupuncture increases the safety and efficacy of long hormonal drug protocol fertility treatments.

 

References
[1] Chen Q, Hao CF. Impacts on pregnancy outcome treated with acupuncture and moxibustion in IVF-ET patients [J]. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 2015,35(04):313-317.
[2] Gonen Y, Casper RF. Prediction of implantation by the sonographic appearance of the endometrium during controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) [J]. J In Vitro Ferti Embryo Transf, 1990, 7 (3): 146-152.
[3] Lina Wang, Jie Qiao, Rong Li, Xiumei Zhen, Zhaohui Liu. Role of endometrial blood flow assessment with color Doppler energy in predicting pregnancy outcome of IVF-ET cycles [J]. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2010; 8: 122.
[4] Wei M, Zhang XM, Gu FL, Lv F, Ji YR, Liu KF, She H, Hu R. The impact of LH, E2, and P level of HCG administration day on outcomes of in vitro fertilization in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation [J]. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2015;42(3):361-6.
[5] Grow D, Kawwass JF, Kulkarni AD, et al. GnRH agonist and GnRH antagonist protocols: comparison of outcomes among good-prognosis patients using national surveillance data. Reprod Biomed Online 2014; 29:299-304.
[6] Borm G, Mannaerts B. Treatment with the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist ganirelix in women undergoing ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle stimulating hormone is effective, safe and convenient: results of a controlled, randomized, multicenter trial. The European Orgalutran Study Group[J]. Hum Reprod, 2000, 15(7):1490-1498.
[7] Norwitz ER, Schust DJ, Fisher SJ. Implantation and the survival of early pregnancy [J]. N Engl J Med, 2001, 345(19): 1400-1408.

Source: HealthCMi

 

New Study–Acupuncture and Herbs Protect Pregnancy, Prevent Miscarriage

, , , , , ,

http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturist-news-online/780-miscarriageoregon

New research published by the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of recurrent pregnancy losses. A team of acupuncturists combined Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies in a clinical study of a 42 year old female in Bellevue, Washington suffering from chronic, recurrent pregnancy losses.

TCM Protects Pregnancy

The outcome of the study suggests that a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine enhances fertility and prevents miscarriages. The clinical study tracked the progress of the patient from six months prior to conception to the successful delivery of a healthy boy at full term using Traditional Chinese Medicine as the therapeutic modality to achieve a positive clinical outcome. As a result of these findings, the researchers suggest more research to confirm the level of effectiveness of the procedures.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, chronic miscarriages may be due to a variety of differential diagnoses including: kidney deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, heat in the blood, trauma and disorders of the Dai, Chong and Ren channels. While there is overlap with biomedical diagnoses, there are many differential diagnostics in the TCM system not found in conventional biomedicine. Several herbal formulas throughout history have been indicated in the TCM system for the protection of the fetus to full term. Shou Tai Wan (Fetus Protecting Pill) is a classic TCM formula for the treatment of kidney deficiency. Tai Yuan Yin (Decoction for Fetus and Essence) is indicated for the treatment of Qi and blood deficiency. Bao Yin Jian (Yin Protecting Decoction) is a classic herbal formula for the treatment of heat in the blood. Si Wu Tang, perhaps one of the most common herbal formulas in TCM, is indicated for the treatment of trauma affecting a fetus. The aforementioned herbal formulas are indicated for a threatened abortion and also for colporrhagia, hemorrhaging from the vagina, during pregnancy. Bu Shen Gu Chong Tang (Kidney Reinforcing and Chong Channel Consolidating Decoction) is also a common herbal formula for the treatment of women suffering from chronic miscarriages.

Given the positive outcome of this recent study on the benefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine in protecting pregnancies, today’s spotlight is on Bao Yin Jian. This herbal formula is comprised of Sheng Di Huang, Shu Di Huang, Bai Shao, Shan Yao, Xu Duan, Huang Qin, Huang Bai and Gan Cao. The Traditional Chinese Medicine function of the formula is to nourish Yin, cool the blood, clear heat and calm the fetus. Indications for use of this formula are bright red colored bleeding during pregnancy, red cheeks and lips, a feeling of excessive heat in the palms & soles, concentrated urination, dry mouth, dry throat and scanty urination. The tongue is usually red with a dry, yellow coating and the pulse is typically slippery and rapid.

Reference:
Hullender Rubin, Lee, Dara Cantor, and Benjamin L. Marx. “Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Traditional Chinese Medicine.” Medical Acupuncture (2013).

– See more at: http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturist-news-online/780-miscarriageoregon#sthash.Y8PZL1Em.dpuf

Acupuncture Improves IVF Outcomes

, , , , ,

http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturist-news-online/744-ivfmoxa

Acupuncture and moxibustion increase pregnancy rates for women undergoing IVF, in vitro fertilisation. New research examined the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on 84 infertile patients who had a minimum of 2 unsuccessful IVF fertility procedures. The participants were randomly divided into a control group, a sham (simulated) acupuncture group and a true acupuncture group. The acupuncture group showed a much higher clinical success rate for enhancing the IVF procedure than both the sham and control groups. The acupuncture group had a 35.7% success rate whereas the sham group had a 10.7% success rate and the control group had a 7.1% success rate.

The goal of the study was to determine if acupuncture and moxibustion could increase the viability of an IVF procedure for patients who have had at least two prior failed IVF procedures. Acupuncture demonstrated significant clinical efficacy along with the moxibustion treatment. Moxibustion was applied to acupuncture points UB18, UB22, UB23, UB52, CV3, CV4, CV5, CV7 and GV4. Acupuncture needling was administered on the first and seventh days during which ovulation was medically induced. Acupuncture was also administered on the day prior to medical intervention of the ovary and on the day after the embryo transfer.

This clinical study comes at a time when many acupuncture and Chinese Medicine procedures have been proven effective in other research. One recent study demonstrated that acupuncture is significantly more effective than Clomifene, trademarked as Clomid and Omifin, for the treatment of infertility. The acupuncture group demonstrated a 76.3% effective rate for the induction of ovulation whereas the clomifene had only a 48.1% effective rate. In a related study, acupuncture was also shown to be effective for ovulation induction for women with PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome. Acupuncture successfully normalized sex steroid and hormone levels while simultaneously increasing ovulation frequency.

Perhaps one of the most important pieces of research to be published recently was that of acupuncture’s ability to increase live birth rates. It was discovered that women receiving acupuncture who are undergoing IVF treatments have a higher success rate if they receive acupuncture on the day of the embryo transfer. A team of researchers from University of Washington (Seattle), Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (Portland) and Northwest Center for Reproductive Sciences (Kirkland, Washington) developed a specific protocol that consistently demonstrated an increase in live birth rates. Acupuncture was applied to acupuncture points DU20, CV6, ST29, SP8, P6, and LV2 prior to embryo transfer along with auricular points Uterus and Endocrine on the right ear and Shenmen and Brain on the left ear. After the embryo transfer a different set of body style acupuncture points were applied: LI4, SP10, ST36, SP6, K3. These were accompanied with auricular acupuncture points Uterus and Endocrine on the right ear and Shenmen and Brain on the left ear.

In yet another scientific discovery, electroacupuncture demonstrated significant clinical results in improving live birth rates for women receiving IVF. The biochemical mechanisms by which acupuncture exerts its beneficial effects was revealed. A special protein increases in the blood when electroacupuncture is applied and that protein is directly proportional to higher live birth rates. The researchers discovered that electroacupuncture increases blood and embryo levels of HLA-G. Enhanced presence of the HLA-G protein is predictive of higher pregnancy and live birth rates. In addition to this biochemical finding, the statistical increase in live birth rates and pregnancy rates was medically significant. The scientists remarked, “the pregnancy outcome and the pregnancy rate are improved” for all women when electroacupuncture is applied.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine have also received a lot of attention for their ability to resolve chronic conditions of pelvic inflammatory disease, PID. This condition is often the result of an infection and is a leading cause of infertility. In the USA, over 100,000 women become infertile every year due to PID. The Healthcare Medicine Institute addresses this concern in its ongoing live webinar acupuncture CEU series for the treatment of PID. To view a sample of this educational material, view the following video clip below.

References:
di Villahermosa, Daniela Isoyama Manca, Lara Guercio dos Santos, Mariana Balthazar Nogueira, Fabia Lima Vilarino, and Caio Parente Barbosa. “Influence of acupuncture on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation when embryo implantation has failed: a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial.” Acupuncture in Medicine (2013).

Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science, 2012, 10(2), R246.3. Teng Hui, Liu Yu-lei, Wang Jun-ling, Xie Ying. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Guangdong, China.
Johansson, Julia, et al. “Acupuncture for ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.” American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology And Metabolism (2013).
Hullender Rubin, Lee E., Michael S. Opsahl, Lisa Taylor-Swanson, and Deborah L. Ackerman. “Acupuncture and In Vitro Fertilization: A Retrospective Chart Review.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2013).??Exploration of clinical regularities in acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for infertility. Qin-feng Huang. JOURNAL OF ACUPUNCTURE AND TUINA SCIENCE?Volume 10, Number 2. (2012), 72-76, DOI: 10.1007/s11726-012-0574-0.
Fertil Steril. 2005 Jan;83(1):30-6. Secretion of human leukocyte antigen-G by human embryos is associated with a higher in vitro fertilization pregnancy rate. Yie SM, Balakier H, Motamedi G, Librach CL.

Penelope Cruz with Acupuncture Ear Beads

, , , , ,

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/01/24/penelope-cruz-sports-acupuncture-beads/

 

Cruz was spotted wearing auriculotherapy at the January 10 premiere of “Venuto Al Mondo.” (Image credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

The swath of tiny studs in Penelope Cruz’s ear isn’t the latest piercing fashion – it’s auriculotherapy, a form of acupuncture used to fight stress, pain and infertility.

The gold beads were spotted Jan. 10 at the Madrid premiere of “Venuto Al Mondo,” sparking rumors about whether the 38-year-old actress and husband Javier Bardem were hoping to give their toddler son a sibling.

“Auriculotherapy can be used for fertility, but those are not fertility points on her ear,” said Jill Blakeway, director of the Manhattan-based YinOva Centerfor complementary medicine. “Hers is a very standard protocol for people with stressful, busy lives.”

CLICK HERE to read about other celebrity remedies.

Auriculotherapy uses relexology points on the ear to tap into distant parts of the body, according to Blakeway.

“It’s almost like there’s a little homunculus; a little representation of the body that comes during embryonic development,” she said, describing how points in Cruz’s ear help calm the heart, mind and spleen, and bring the body into balance. “Auriculotherapy is remarkably effective,” she said.

During a treatment session, auriculotherapy needles are inserted about a quarter inch into the outer ear. When the session is over, Blakeway said the needles are removed and replaced with tiny gold or silver beads affixed with a sticky bandage that “potentiates the treatment.”

“It’s quite popular for relaxation,” Blakeway said of auriculotherapy. “We also do a lot for hunger, for people on diets.”

Acupuncture is gaining popularity in the U.S. as patients — and doctors — embrace a more holistic approach to medicine.

“Western medicine is very good for some things and not very good for others,” said Dr. Tony Chon, a medical acupuncturist with the Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. “Treatments like acupuncture and stress management therapy look at patients as more of a whole rather than their individual parts.”

But studies on acupuncture have yielded a “hodgepodge of results,” Chon said, because the gold standard placebo-controlled trial doesn’t always work. “It’s hard to study because people have pain and stress for different reasons,” he said.

Blakeway said acupuncture is “particularly good for treating chronic long-term imbalances like arthritis, irritable bowel, asthma, allergies and hormonal imbalances that cause infertility.” Her husband, YinOva Center co-director Noah Rubenstein, performed acupuncture on Kristen Davis during an episode of  ”Sex and the City.” Davis’ character, Charlotte, was undergoing in vitro fertilization.

“Some studies have shown that acupuncture increases IVF rates,” said Dr. William Hurd, division chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. “Based on the limited data, we don’t recommend it, but we do offer it.”

Acupuncture’s stress-relieving effects in some patients can also boost the odds of becoming pregnant, Hurd said.

“The stress of not getting pregnant makes it less likely to get pregnant, so we encourage everyone to try anything they find helpful for stress as we help them with the medical side of it,” said Hurd.

Ear Acupuncture for Addicted Pregnant Women

, , , , ,

http://7thspace.com/headlines/428916/auricular_acupuncture_for_chemically_dependent_pregnant_women_a_randomized_controlled_trial_of_the_nada_protocol.html

The prevalence of maternal drug use during pregnancy in North America has been estimated to be as high as 6-10%. The consequences for the newborn include increased risk for perinatal mortality and ongoing physical, neurobehavioral, and psychosocial problems.

Methadone is frequently used to wean women off street drugs but is implicated as a cause of adverse fetal/neonatal outcomes itself. The purpose of our study was to test the ability of maternal acupuncture treatment among mothers who use illicit drugs to reduce the frequency and severity of withdrawal symptoms among their newborns.

Methods: We randomly assigned chemically dependent pregnant women at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia to daily acupuncture treatments versus usual care.

By necessity, neither our participants nor acupuncturists were blinded as to treatment allocation. Our primary outcome was days of neonatal morphine treatment for symptoms of neonatal withdrawal.

Secondary neonatal outcomes included admission to a neonatal ICU and transfer to foster care.

Results: We randomized 50 women to acupuncture and 39 to standard care. When analyzed by randomized groups, we did not find benefit of acupuncture; the average length of treatment with morphine for newborns in the acupuncture group was 2.7 (6.3) compared to 2.8 (7.0) in the control group.

Among newborns of women who were compliant with the acupuncture regime, we observed a reduction of 2.1 and 1.5 days in length of treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome compared to the non-compliant and control groups, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Acupuncture may be a safe and feasible treatment to assist mothers to reduce their dosage of methadone.

Our results should encourage ongoing studies to test the ability of acupuncture to mitigate the severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome among their newborns.Clinical Trial Registrationhttp: www.clinicaltrials.gov registry: W05-0041

Author: Patricia JanssenLouise C DemorestAnne KellyPaul ThiessenRon Abrahams
Credits/Source: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2012, 7:48