Plantation Acupuncture
Infertility FAQ
How can acupuncture increase my chances of pregnancy?
• Regulate and stabilize hormone levels
• Facilitate production of more follicles
• Increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries
• Reduce chances of miscarriage
• Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
• Prevent postpartum depression
• Strengthen the immune system
• Help you absorb nutrients better and maintain your ideal weight
INFERTILITY, IVF & PREGNANCY
 Plantation, FL"Lincoln was born healthy and happy. I will forever be grateful to Michael, and I truly believe that my miracle is here thanks in part to him.” |
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 Plantation, FL"Twins!!! Thank you Dr. Fiorani!" |
 Sunny Isles, FL"Seasons Greetings from the most adorable baby!!!" |
 Miami, FL"He's so delicious!" |
 Davie, FL"Thank you!!! She makes my every second!!!!!" |
 Miami, FL"Enjoying her first birthday on the beach :)" |
 Aventura, FL"I want to thank Mike for keeping me calm and for always being honest. Give it time and be hopeful. Here are two pictures of my little angels." |
 Plantation FL“Two weeks ago I had my daughter. Thank you so much for everything Michael! My husband and I are forever grateful!" |
Acupuncture for Infertility & IVF with Someone You Can Trust!
Specializing in Fertility & Pregnancy
Dr. Fiorani has published doctoral research in the effectiveness of acupuncture as adjunct therapy for infertility and IVF, as well as presented his research at the World Acupuncture Conference. He has given lectures in acupuncture and infertility, and has worked with nearly every type of infertility case including PCOS, IUI and IVF with great success. He also works regularly with women throughout their pregnancy!
Recent research has shown that Acupuncture can greatly enhance the success of ART procedures including Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and IVF with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). The growing number of credible published studies of acupuncture and IVF have demonstrated:
• Statistically significant higher pregnancy rates
• Statistically significant lower miscarriage rates
• Statistically significant lower ectopic pregnancy rates
What are the benefits of acupuncture in combination with IUI & IVF?
For females, there are many reasons that contribute to infertility, including but not limited to ovulatory failure or defect, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, polyps, pelvic adhesions, pelvic inflammatory diseases, chlamydia, hormonal imbalance, age (especially over 34 years of age), and psychological issues. Often, more than one cause contributes to infertility. Read more in depth supporting research here.
For males, research has shown that acupuncture treatment can help improve semen quality. Read more in depth supporting research here.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, treatment of female infertility must focus on regulation of the menses. One course of treatment is generally three months, efficacy typically being seen within one to three courses of treatments. Acupuncture helps strengthen the underlying infertility condition, regulate menstruation, balance hormones and significantly improve the probability of a successful pregnancy.
Can Acupuncture be used to treat infertility?
Acupuncture has been used for centuries to treat some causes of infertility. For example, acupuncture will not work to address tubal adhesions which can occur as a result of pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. However, in this situation, an individual could still benefit from acupuncture because of the potential effect of improved ovarian and follicular function. Additionally, it is shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining. Read more in depth supporting research here.
When should acupuncture treatment begin and for how long?
Acupuncture is similar to physical therapy in that it is a process oriented method of medical intervention. It is better to do more than less. Patients are commonly treated for three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. This period of treatment seems to have a therapeutic effect. Typically most miscarriages occur within the first three months of pregnancy. Therefore, treatment of patients may often last through week twelve to help prevent miscarriage.
In a study by Stener-Victorin et al from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Centre, Scandinavia and University of Gothenburg, women are encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer. Clinical observations from the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture and traditional medical interventions. However, conception does sometimes occur when acupuncture is used without traditional medical interventions.
What types of fertility patients typically get acupuncture?
Acupuncture can be used to treat any type of fertility disorder including spasmed tubes, elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm motility, sperm concentration and sperm-DNA-fragmentation. Read more in depth supporting research here.
What are the risks of using acupuncture?
There are minimal risks when using acupuncture for fertility treatment, but it is preferable to be treated by an acupuncturist with experience in treating fertility disorders. Acupuncture is not contraindicated for anyone regardless of their pathology or what medications they are taking.
Acupuncture for Pregnancy!
Dr. Fiorani has extensive experience working with patients throughout their pregnancy. There is scientific research demonstrating the benefit of acupuncture for multiple pregnancy related conditions.
In the first trimester, acupuncture is particularly helpful for nausea and preventing miscarriage. It can also be very helpful throughout the pregnancy for emotional support, insomnia, headaches, sinus congestion, and back pain including sciatica.
Acupuncture has also been shown to help turn a breech baby as well as help induce labor.
Infertility is defined by the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as failure of a couple to conceive after 12 months of regular intercourse without use of contraception in women less than 35 years of age; and after six months of regular intercourse without use of contraception in women 35 years and older It was recently found that 10-15% of the reproductive-aged population is infertile, and men and women are equally affected.
A Deeper Dive Into the Major Benefits of Acupuncture for IVF & Fertility
Major Benefit 1: Improving Egg and Embryo Quality
To ensure the health of your future baby, you need to start with healthy eggs. Research has shown that acupuncture can improve both egg and embryo quality, leading to better chances of a successful pregnancy. In one study, researchers focused on the effects of acupuncture on women who had previously been diagnosed with infertility. The study found that acupuncture can help to increase the high-quality egg rate and high-quality embryo rates for women suffering from infertility and energetic kidney deficiency [1] . Energetic kidney deficiency is a common symptom of PCOS and may be responsible for causing women to experience irregular or absent menstrual periods.
For additional ways to improve egg and embryo quality along with your overall fertility health, check out our guide on boosting female fertility.
Major Benefit 2: Sperm Quality
Sperm make up half the genetics of a growing embryo and future child. It is often mistakenly assumed that the female partner is the one largely responsible for a couple’s infertility, when in fact 30% of cases of infertility are related to the male-factor alone [2] . Research has shown that acupuncture treatment for men can help to improve semen quality and fertilization rates for couples undergoing fertility treatment.
In a review of four studies, researchers found that acupuncture might significantly improve two important semen parameters, sperm motility and sperm concentration [3] . One study focused specifically on the effectiveness of acupuncture to improve sperm quality in subfertile males. The study concluded that acupuncture may help men diagnosed with infertility due to reduced sperm activity [4] .
Research also exists on acupuncture’s ability to help men suffering from infertility that previously failed with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), a form of IVFtreatment. In one study, researchers measured the effects of acupuncture on 22 males diagnosed with infertility who failed ICSI. The participants in the study were treated with acupuncture for 8 weeks prior to a second ICSI treatment. The study found that the normal sperm ratio was increased, as was the fertilization rate after acupuncture. Researchers concluded that acupuncture can help improve sperm quality and fertilization rates when used alongside reproductive treatments [5] .
Check out our guide on male fertility testing to learn more about the importance of healthy sperm to achieving pregnancy. For additional ideas on how to improve sperm quality, please read our article on boosting male fertility.
Major Benefit 3: IVF Success Rates
In addition to improving sperm, egg, and embryo quality, acupuncture can also help to improve IVF success rates in other ways. Research is available to support acupunctures’ ability to improve clinical pregnancy rates, pregnancy outcomes and help couples who have previously failed IVF. In one review of past studies, researchers reviewed thirty trials with 6334 participants treated with acupuncture and IVF. Based on the results of those studies, researchers concluded that acupuncture can improve clinical pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF [6] .
A different study focused on how acupuncture can help to improve IVF outcomes. Researchers found that after several acupuncture treatments, participants showed improved endometrial thickness, reduced stress, and improved patient satisfaction [7] . Later in the article, we will explore why reducing stress is important during fertility treatment. Another analysis of multiple studies found that acupuncture can benefit women with a history of unsuccessful IVF attempts [8] .
Major Benefit 4: Treating Pre-existing Conditions
Conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrom (PCOS), endometriosis, and ovarian cysts are known to impact female fertility negatively. Research has indicated that acupuncture can be used along with traditional medical treatments to improve symptoms that may be causing infertility. For example, women with PCOS are known to suffer from anovulation. When a woman does not ovulate, she can’t get pregnant. Research has shown that repeated acupuncture treatments can help to induce ovulation in over 1/3 of women with PCOS [9] . Other studies have shown that acupuncture can specifically help patients with PCOS undergoing IVF treatment. After measuring the effects of acupuncture on 66 patients undergoing IVF treatment, researchers concluded that acupuncture can positively influence pregnancy outcomes, relieve symptoms of energetic kidney deficiency, and improve clinical pregnancy rates [10] .
Acupuncture can help reduce symptoms of endometriosis by increasing nourishing blood flow and balancing hormones to improve the uterus’ health. Endometriosis can cause cysts to grow that appear as endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. These cysts can cause chronic pain and impairment of ovarian function, causing infertility. Research has shown that acupuncture can help to give positive results and serve as a non-surgical infertility treatment option for women with endometriosis. Results from the study also indicated that acupuncture can help women with endometriosis to achieve pregnancy [11] . Research has also shown that acupuncture can help to reduce the pain associated with endometriosis [12] .
Acupuncture may also be able to help patients with poor ovarian reserve. In one study, researchers studied the effects of acupuncture in 60 cases accepting IVF treatment. They found that acupuncture therapy can improve oocyte quality and pregnancy outcome in patients with poor ovarian reserve [13] .
Major Benefit 5: Balancing Reproductive Hormones and Normalizing Menstrual Cycles
Improperly balanced hormones are known to have a negative impact on fertility. Luckily, acupuncture can help improve the production of sex hormones related to fertility and bring balance to the body. In a review of several studies, researchers found that acupuncture can help to increase estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, and other hormones [14] .
As mentioned above, women can not get pregnant if they do not ovulate. Irregular menstrual cycles are a major symptom of anovulation [15]. Studies have shown that in addition to improving hormone production, acupuncture can positively influence menstrual health and reproductive functioning in women experiencing delays in getting pregnant [16] . Acupuncture can also specifically help women with PCOS who ovulate infrequently and are suffering from infertility. Research has shown that repeated acupuncture treatments can result in higher ovulation frequency in women with PCOS [17] .
Article Sources
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5. Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology
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7. Acupuncture and in vitro fertilisation research: current and future directions
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9. Effects of electro-acupuncture on anovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
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11. Acupuncture Treatment of Subfertility and Ovarian Endometrioma
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15. Factors associated with menstrual cycle irregularity and menopause
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17. Acupuncture for ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial