The Yinova Center is a Chinese medicine clinic based in New York City with three locations (Brooklyn Heights, Flatiron District, and the East Side) and a lively virtual practice.
Here at the Yinova Center, since 1999, we have used traditional Chinese medicine to support patients during fertility treatments. As one of New York’s largest and most well-known acupuncture practices, we currently treat thousands of people a year, using acupuncture to support them as they go through IVF. We also take care of couples in the run-up to an IVF cycle to make sure that they are in an optimal position to succeed.
Here are the questions our patients most frequently ask about using Chinese medicine during an IVF cycle
Does having acupuncture increase the likelihood of success with IVF?
There have been some clinical research findings that seem to suggest it does. You can read about a German study that found a 50% better IVF outcome while using acupuncture here. In 2008 research published in the British Medical Journal showed that women doing IVF who underwent acupuncture were 65% more likely to have a successful embryo transfer compared with those who underwent a “sham” version of the treatment, or no extra treatment at all. You can read about this study here.
How Does Acupuncture Help an IVF cycle?
Here at the Yinova Center, we use acupuncture every day to treat those that are undergoing IVF and we are proud of our success rates. Our positive experiences are echoed by recent research which shows that acupuncture can promote the circulation of blood in the pelvic cavity and improve ovarian function. Acupuncture may also be beneficial in promoting follicle production, enhancing uterine blood flow, and thus improving uterine lining thickness and decreasing uterine contractions after embryo transfer.
How Does IVF Support at Yinova work?
While some people notice immediate effects from acupuncture, it doesn’t necessarily work overnight. Since the effects tend to be cumulative, we recommend weekly treatments during the three months leading up to IVF. If this isn’t possible, we propose coming in to see us when you start your IVF cycle. We also suggest getting treatments twice a week while taking follicle-stimulating drugs, one treatment before egg retrieval, and one before embryo transfers. Finally, we ask our patients to come in for treatment 24 – 48 hours after embryo transfer so that we can do an acupuncture treatment to prevent the uterine spasm.
Should I take Chinese herbs during IVF?
The quick answer is no. Very occasionally, here at the Yinova Center, we do prescribe herbs for a patient going through IVF if they have a history of poor response to the stimulating drugs and if their doctor agrees. However, the herbs can make your response to stimulating drugs unpredictable and we have found that most reproductive endocrinologists would prefer you not to combine them with IVF treatment so we often do not prescribe any.
How can I find out more?
Feel free to reach out to our front desk team for help scheduling an appointment, answers to pricing questions or you can ask to speak to an acupuncturist for more specific questions. We are always happy to talk to you about your concerns.
