November 9
Most of my patients had been undergoing IVF cycles without achieving positive results.
I conducted a retrospective analysis of patients successfully treated with acupuncture alone and found that most of them had previously experienced transfer failures.
From the perspective of Chinese medicine, these patients often present with liver qi discomfort, liver qi stagnation, or liver fire flare-ups. It is common to experience anxiety before embryo transfer—poor sleep the night before, worrying about failure, cold hands and feet, irritability, and general unease.
Infertility is a deeply stressful crisis. For some families, children are the bond that maintains the integrity of the family. For those who invest heavily in IVF, the procedure may feel like the last hope to save a marriage or partnership, placing enormous pressure on multiple aspects of life.
It is understandable to feel nervous. Anxiety often triggers the secretion of hormones such as adrenaline, which can cause uterine contractions. I have seen patients whose embryo transfer cycles had to be terminated just before the procedure due to these contractions.
However, in subsequent IVF cycles with acupuncture treatment, uterine contractions did not occur, and pregnancy proceeded smoothly. Such patients are ideal candidates for IVF acupuncture.
Other patients may have underlying inflammatory conditions, including blood heat, damp-heat accumulation, or immune-endocrine imbalances. These conditions—such as hormone level dysregulation, gut microbiome imbalance, high blood viscosity, endometriosis, PCOS, or drug-induced high estrogen levels—not only affect egg quality but also reduce implantation rates.
For these patients, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, heat stimulation, and dietary modifications can improve inflammation, enhance metabolism, balance gut flora, and achieve immune and endocrine equilibrium, making pregnancy possible. Some younger patients may even conceive naturally.
For example, I treated a patient with severe arthritis who had been taking nearly ten different medications long-term and had experienced multiple failed IUI cycles. After six months of acupuncture and dietary modifications, she discontinued all medications except 5 mg of dexamethasone and conceived naturally. Patients with moderate to severe conditions generally require long-term treatment, making them excellent candidates for Chinese medicine.
Fertility acupuncture can also benefit patients with POI or POF by adjusting neuroendocrine mediators, promoting ovulation, and supporting natural pregnancy or IVF. In our clinic, many such patients have achieved successful pregnancies. Treatment is generally more effective when acupuncture is combined with Chinese herbal medicine.
