Reproductive Acupuncture, Sadie Minkoff, L.Ac.

Acupuncture balances serum cortisol & prolactin levels with acupuncture during during IVF

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:54:42 +0000

“The acupuncture treatments appear to normalize levels of cortisol and prolactin which have been artificially depressed by the IVF drugs. This may have implications for both egg quality and implantation. In addition the pregnancy and live birth rate was significantly higher in the acupuncture group.” – Magarelli, PC, D Cridennda, M Cohen. 2009 Fertility and Sterility

Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer treatment. Paul C. Magarelli, M.D.,a Diane K. Cridennda, L.Ac.,b and Mel Cohen, Ph.D. Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centers and East Winds Acupuncture, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Antidepressants Linked to Miscarriage Risk

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:25:01 +0000

This large scale study published in the June 2010 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows a 68% increased risk for miscarriage in pregnant women using any class of antidepressant drugs compared with women who had never used antidepressants.

Researchers See Possible Connection Between SSRIs and Miscarriages Anick Berard, Ph.D., associate professor, epidemiology, University of Montreal, and director, Research Unit on Medications and Pregnancy at CHU Ste-Justine, Montreal; Adrienne Einarson, R.N., assistant director, Motherisk Program at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto; Salih Yasin, M.D., associate professor and vice chair, obstetrics and gynecology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; May 31, 2010, Canadian Medical Association Journal

Sub-clinical hypothyroidism

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:47:04 +0000

This study reveals that even sub-clinical issues such as hypothyroidism can lead to difficulty getting pregnant as well as a higher rate of miscarriages. It also states that the quality of eggs, rather then the quantity retrieved, is more important for positive outcomes. This reflects the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine which works to improve the potential multitude of sub-clinical imbalances that can exist and coexist in the “infertile” patient. By using TCM, and other natural means, the body’s healing intelligence corrects these imbalances on its own. Hence quality is fostered rather than quantity forced.

Improved IVF Outcomes After Treatment of Subclinical

Hypothyroidism in Infertile Women - Rahman AH, Abbassy HA, Elatif Abbassy AA.

An aspiration

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:13:27 +0000

May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy.
May we not become disheartened.
May we find in the dissolution
of our apathy and denial,
the cup of the broken heart.
May we discover the gift of the fire burning
in the inner chamber of our being –
burning great and bright enough
to transform any poison.
May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service
of something greater than ourselves.
May our guilt not rise up to form
yet another defensive wall.
May the suffering purify and not paralyze us.
May we realize the greatness of our sorrow
and not run from its touch or flame.
May clarity be our ally and wisdom our support.
May our wrath be cleansing, cutting through
the confusion of denial and greed.
May we not be afraid to see or speak our truth.
May the bleakness of the wasteland be dispelled.
May the soul’s journey be revealed
and the true hunger fed.
May we be forgiven for what we have forgotten
and blessed with the remembrance
of who we really are.

~ The Terma Collective

Acupuncture in Pregnancy

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:57:07 +0000

Acupuncture has long been used to foster health during pregnancy. It is a great asset for fatigue, hypertension, gestational diabetes, water retention, pain, labor preparation, stress and anxiety. Of course preventative medicine is the smartest medicine and Acupuncture is a great way to stay healthy through pregnancy, labor and postpartum. Read more…

A word about statistics

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:16:59 +0000

The methods and techniques used in Traditional Chinese Medicine have been time tested over thousands of years and have helped literally millions of people. Recently Oriental Reproductive Medicine has been proven to increase pregnancy rates in several research trials. However, unlike Reproductive Endocrinologists, at this time there are no set regulations on how acupuncturists report statistics on patient outcomes. Currently which patients are included or excluded from statistical data or what parameters are used is solely determined by the individual practitioner. No guidelines have been established to guarantee transparency. The ethical reporting of pregnancy outcomes is a very serious issue that the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine is currently investigating. Read more…

Fox News – Acupuncture: A Cure for Infertility?

admin — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:13:04 +0000

Fox News – Acupuncture: A Cure for Infertility?

Future Prospects for Advanced Maternal Age

admin — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:44:36 +0000

A group of researchers at the University of California while studying flies who lay eggs late in their lives discovered that they possess a gene which allows them to both live longer and reproduce later in life. Interestingly humans have a similar gene which when stimulated may someday allow women to reproduce at a latter age as well as extend their lifespans.

Adult-specific over-expression of the Drosophila genes magu and hebe increases life span and modulates late-age female fecundity -Yishi Li¹ and John Tower

Reproductive Outcomes Improved

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:50:56 +0000

The researchers demonstrated that clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates were significantly higher in patients who received acupuncture before embryo transfer during in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm ejaculation.

Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial – Lars G. Westergaard, M.D., Ph.D., Qunhui Mao, M.D., Marianne Krogslund, Steen Sandrini, Suzan Lenz, M.D., Ph.D., and Jørgen Grinsted, M.D., Ph.D.

Acupuncture Improves Pregnancy Rates

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:46:15 +0000

In this study acupuncture was administered 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer during in vitro fertilization. Pregnancies were documented in 42.5% of the acupuncture group, whereas the pregnancy rate was only 26.3% in the control group.

Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy – Wolfgang E. Paulus, M.D., Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut. Mingmin Zhang, M.D., Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China. Erwin Strehler, M.D., Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut. Imam El-Danasouri, Ph.D., Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut. and Karl Sterzik, M.D. Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut