A 2023 systematic review of 37 RCTs and 5,807 patients found that acupuncture significantly improved clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates in IVF. The evidence is most robust for women with repeated implantation failure and diminished ovarian reserve.
The largest meta-analysis of acupuncture and IVF (Zhao et al., 2023, Reproductive Biomedicine Online) analysed 37 randomised controlled trials involving 5,807 patients. It found that acupuncture significantly increased clinical pregnancy rates (OR 1.62) and live birth rates (OR 1.53) compared to control groups. These are clinically meaningful effect sizes.
Earlier studies — including the widely cited Paulus 2002 trial — found that acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer increased pregnancy rates from 26.3% to 42.5%. Subsequent research has found that a full-cycle protocol (treating across the stimulation, retrieval, and transfer phases) produces greater benefit than single-session treatment.
The Rainbow Medicine IVF protocol treats patients throughout the IVF cycle: during ovarian stimulation (to improve follicular development and response to FSH), around egg collection (to reduce inflammation and promote recovery), and around embryo transfer (to optimise uterine receptivity and reduce uterine contractions).
We coordinate with your fertility clinic and can discuss your specific protocol with your IVF specialist. All treatment is designed to complement, not interfere with, your medical IVF treatment.
Book a fertility consultation at Rainbow Medicine — we work alongside your IVF clinic.
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