Fertility and Sterility
Volume 85, Issue 5 , Pages 1362-1363 , May 2006

Acupuncture as adjunctive therapy in assisted reproduction: remaining uncertainties

  • Evan R. Myers, M.D., M.P.H.

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Evan Myers, M.D., Duke University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 244 Baker House, Box 3279 Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710 (FAX: 919-668-0295).

Received 24 October 2005 ,Revised 24 October 2005 ,Accepted 24 October 2005.

References 

  1. Westergaard LG , Mao Q , Krogslund M , Sandrini S , Lenz S , Grinsted J . Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women (a prospective, randomized trial) . Fertil Steril . 2006;85:1341–1346
  2. Dieterle S , Ying G , Hatzmann W , Neuer A . Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study) . Fertil Steril . 2006;85:1347–1351
  3. Dincer F , Linde K . Sham interventions in randomized clinical trials of acupuncture—a review . Complement Ther Med . 2003;11:235–242
  4. Miller FG , Kaptchuk TJ . Sham procedures and the ethics of clinical trials . J R Soc Med . 2004;97:576–578
  5. Bausell RB , Lao L , Bergman S , Lee WL , Berman BM . Is acupuncture analgesia an expectancy effect? Preliminary evidence based on participants’ perceived assignments in two placebo-controlled trials . Eval Health Prof . 2005;28:9–26
  6. White PJ . Methodological concerns when designing trials for the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of pain . Adv Exp Med Biol . 2004;546:217–227
  7. Goddard G , Shen Y , Steele B , Springer N . A controlled trial of placebo versus real acupuncture . J Pain . 2005;6:237–242
  8. White P , Lewith G , Hopwood V , Prescott P . The placebo needle, is it a valid and convincing placebo for use in acupuncture trials? A randomised, single-blind, cross-over pilot trial . Pain . 2003;106:401–409
  9. Legro RS , Myers ER . Surrogate outcomes in studies of polycystic ovary syndrome . Hum Reprod . 2004;19:1697–1704
  10. Curran D , Sylvester RJ , Hoctin Boes G . Sample size estimation in phase III cancer clinical trials . Eur J Surg Oncol . 1999;25:244–250
  11. Myers ER , Silva S , Hafley G , Kunselman A , Nestler JE , Legro RS , et al.   Sample size estimation for the Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PPCOS) Trial . Contemp Clin Trials . 2005;26:271–280
  12. Birch S , Hesselink JK , Jonkman FA , Hekker TA , Bos A . Clinical research on acupuncture. Part 1. What have reviews of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture told us so far? . J Altern Complement Med . 2004;10:468–480

PII: S0015-0282(06)00208-1

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.10.062

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 85, Issue 5 , Pages 1362-1363 , May 2006