| Several recent studies have focused on the benefits | | | | becoming pregnant. |
| of acupuncture and IVF treatment used | | | | How acupuncture works in relation to improve fertility |
| simultaneously. Traditionally natural fertility | | | | is not clearly understood by scientific researchers. |
| treatments, like acupuncture, have been used | | | | However, there is speculation that the positive |
| independently from medical fertility treatments using | | | | outcomes result in part from the reduction of stress |
| in-vitro fertilization techniques or fertility drugs. | | | | and anxiety. Undergoing IVF treatment is a very |
| However, as medical research has shown more | | | | stressful process, and stress is known to have a |
| interest in evaluating the benefits of natural | | | | negative impact on fertility. Acupuncture, on the |
| treatments like acupuncture, there has also been an | | | | other hand, is known to reduce stress and anxiety |
| increased interest in how these treatments work in | | | | levels in those undergoing the process. |
| conjunction with standard fertility treatments. | | | | There are still some unanswered questions regarding |
| Probably the best known study to date that has | | | | the use of acupuncture in relation to pregnancy. For |
| focused in acupuncture and IVF treatment is a study | | | | example, researchers are still not sure how long |
| published in 2008 in the British Medical Journal. This | | | | acupuncture treatments should be used during the |
| study, which involved 1366 different women under | | | | course of a pregnancy and if there is a point where |
| going both IVF and acupuncture treatment, showed | | | | they should be stopped. Still, the success rates |
| that acupuncture had a significant positive influence | | | | shown in the British Medical Journal acupuncture and |
| on the outcome of the IVF treatment. Researchers | | | | IVF study mean that many women will likely have a |
| found that women who had both acupuncture and | | | | better chance of conceiving in the future when using |
| IVF treatment had a 65% greater chance of | | | | these two treatments together. |