The Role of acupuncture in the management of subfertility

Objective: To review systematically the use of acupuncture in the management of subfertility.
Design: A computer search was performed via several English and Chinese databases to identify journals relevant
to the subject.
Result(s): The positive effect of acupuncture in the treatment of subfertility may be related to the central sympathetic
inhibition by the endorphin system, the change in uterine blood flow and motility, and stress reduction. Acupuncture
may help restore ovulation in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, although there are not enough
randomized studies to validate this. There is also no sufficient evidence supporting the role of acupuncture in
male subfertility, as most of the studies are uncontrolled case reports or case series in which the sample sizes
were small. Despite these deficiencies, acupuncture can be considered as an effective alternative for pain relief during
oocyte retrieval in patients who cannot tolerate side effects of conscious sedation. The pregnancy rate of IVF
treatment is significantly increased, especially when acupuncture is administered on the day of embryo transfer.
Conclusion(s): Although acupuncture has gained increasing popularity in the management of subfertility, its
effectiveness has remained controversial. (Fertil Steril_ 2008;90:1–13._2008 by American Society for Reproductive
Medicine.)