A pilot pragmatic trial undertaken by researchers at Western Sydney University, Australia, suggests that acupuncture can reduce by half, the time taken for sub-fertile women to conceive. A total of 56 sub-fertile women were recruited from the community in Sydney, and offered either lifestyle modification advice, or the same advice plus acupuncture. Inclusion criteria were women aged 18 to 44 who had been trying to conceive for at least 12 months, and who had a diagnosis of the causes of their sub-fertility. Acupuncture treatments were given weekly for three months and individually tailored for each patient.
Seven women became pregnant during the study, those receiving acupuncture conceiving within an average 5.5 weeks, and those receiving lifestyle advice only, taking an average 10.7 weeks. Acupuncture compared to lifestyle advice only, also resulted in significant increases in fertility awareness and quality of life measures in relation to wellbeing. Further, it increased the ability of the recipients to engage in desired activities, such as exercise or rest.
(Prior to Conception: The Role of an Acupuncture Protocol in Improving Women’s Reproductive Functioning Assessed by a Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial. Evidence Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine 2016.)