Opposites Attract for Increased In-Vitro Success
Some truly miraculous things can happen when opposites attract. Take, for instance, the results of a meeting of sperm and egg.
Modern medical technologies can now help the results along in some cases where the meeting of a sperm and egg don’t seem to produce the desired effect. The procedure referred to as IVF, or in-vitro fertilization, is one such very modern medical procedure that produces miraculous results in many cases but each procedure is still a gamble, and failure can result in heartbreak for many would-be parents.
It seems, however, that some very modern medical practitioners are enlisting a little help from their ancient Oriental medical counterparts to increase the odds of successful fertilization in patients who have experienced difficulties in the past. The ancient Oriental medical procedure? Acupuncture.
While no conclusive evidence has been proven without doubt or skepticism that the ancient procedure of acupuncture does, in fact, increase the odds of success for a medical procedure found at the opposite end of the medical history spectrum, some doctors are reporting an enhanced rate of successful pregnancies when acupuncture is administered around the time of embryo implantation.
The pooled results of the IVF/acupuncture studies on 1,366 women in the US, Europe, and Canada seems to indicate an increase of about 65% in the rate of pregnancy, with results varying from study to study.
The typical pregnancy rate for IVF is about 35% and experts are quick to warn the 65% reported when acupuncture is included may be somewhat inaccurate, given that this number came from pooled results of various studies using different methodologies. Researchers seem to think a 45% success rate using IVF and acupuncture together is a more accurate assessment.
The exact beneficial results of the acupuncture are still unknown but theories are that it calms the patient, thereby reducing stress hormones that might inhibit fertilization. Increased blood flow to the uterus and a relaxation of the cervix are also considered possible benefits that increase the chances of fertility. Patients report feelings of warmth and relaxation at the time of implantation when acupuncture is included.
One doctor who began acupuncture procedures in conjunction with IVF did so at the urging of his patients. Dr. Francisco Arredondo, head of Reproductive Medicine Associates of Texas, reports an increased rate of success when he employs the services of acupuncturist Kirsten Karchmer.
Karchmer places about a dozen acupuncture needles throughout a patient’s body twice a week for about three months. The acupuncture costs $500 per month for treatment. Each IVF treatment typically costs about $12,000 and many patients and physicians alike feel that any treatment that will improve the rate of successful pregnancy helps to minimize the overall cost of the procedure.
In this case, when modern medicine meets ancient medicine, many happy parents claim that miracles really do happen.
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I couldn’t understand some parts of this article , but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.