Cupping Therapy for infertility

 by Dr Tamer Shaban

The definition of infertile couple is the inability to conceive after one year of regular sexual relationship without any use of contraceptive methods. (1) The prevalence among couples is about 10% to 20%. (2) The causes of infertility is divided into male and female causes. Female factors contribute 40% of all factors, and ovaries diseases plus unexplained female causes contribute 45% of all female factors. (1)
Complementary medicine is widely used between Americans and Europeans. There are about 64% of united states schools of medicine and colleges reported offering courses of complementary medicine or include these subjects into their required courses.(3)
Cupping therapy is one of the ancient types of complementary and alternative medicine. Cupping therapy has been used in the treatment of broad range of diseases. (4) Cupping is also effective as needles in stimulating acupuncture points. (5) It can be used instead of needles.
Cupping therapy has many benefits for an infertile female as it induces a feeling of physical and psychological well being (4), regulates female hormones, improves ovaries functions, increases uterine blood flow, increases the thickness of uterine lining and improves implantation. (8)
Various studies found that acupuncture can affect levels of female hormones and can regulate them. (6) In 1999 Ji et al conducted a trial to examine the efficacy of acupuncture against medical treatment on 98 women. The results indicate significant pregnancy rate 69% v 40% in the acupuncture group. (9)
Another trial conducted by Yang et al in 2005 in the field of using acupuncture in the induction of ovulation for hormonal infertility. 240 women involved in this trial and divided into two groups, the treatment group who received acupuncture treatment and control group who received medical treatment. The final results indicated pregnancy rate is significantly greater in acupuncture group (65%) than in medical treatment group (45%). (10)
In 1997 Ma et al conducted trial on 111 women suffered from hypo ovarinism (weak ovarian functions) divided into two groups, the first group received body acupuncture plus cupping therapy, the other group received medical treatment. The result was amazing, it was 76.4% in test group received acupuncture plus cupping than 47.3% in medical treatment group. (11)
References
1- Sandra L. Torrente, Valerian Montgomery Rice. An Overview of Female Infertility. Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Landers Biosciences. Chapter 13 - P 145. 2007.
2-SpringHouse. Female Infertility: Causes and incidence. Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), Copyright © 2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
3. Wetzel MS, Eisenberg DM, and Kaptchuk TJ. Courses involving complementary and alternative medicine at US medical scools. JAMA 280(9), 784-787. 2-9-1998.
4. Kaleem Ullah and Ahmed Younis. An investigation into the effect of Cupping Therapy as a treatment for Anterior Knee Pain and its potential role in Health Promotion. TheInternet Journal of Alternative Medicine. 4(1). 2007
5. Tham LM, Lee HP, and Lu C. Cupping: From a biomechanical perspective. J Biomech 39(12). 2005.
6- Mark Bovey. Female Infertility the evidence for the effectiveness of Acupuncture. Acupuncture Research Resource Centre. British Acupuncture Council. P 6. November 2006.
7- Chang R, Chung PH, Rosenwaks Z. Role of acupuncture in the treatment of female Infertility. Infertility and sterility. 85: P 1347-1351. 2002.
8-Hennawy M . Cupping therapy and Infertility. Available at: http://www.obgyn.net/english/pubs/features/presentations/hennawy15/280,1 Cupping Therapy and Infertility. Accessed December 2004.
9-Ji P, Ma RH, Wang ZX, Liu SH (1999) Acupuncture treatment of infertility due to irregular menstruation and influence of acupuncture on hypo-thalamus-pituitary-ovary axis International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture 10(4):343-7
10-Yang JR, Ma YY, Liu YL, Wang HL, Liu Z (2005). Controlled study on acupuncture for
treatment of endocrine dysfunctional infertility. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 25:299-300
11-Ma RH et al. [Clinical observation of acupuncture treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome.] Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 1996, 16(11):602–623 [in Chinese].