Our Reproductive Health Specialist
Hope Peek, LAc, MSOM, Dipl OM, FABORM
Hope is a Fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine (FABORM).  The ABORM is the national organization dedicated to testing practitioners and increasing the standards of clinical practice and research in reproductive acupuncture and herbal medicine.  Hope is one of only 55 ABORM certified reproductive acupuncturists in the entire nation, and she is the only acupuncturist in the Charlotte region to have obtained this specialized board certification.

As one of 30 charter members of the Clinical Excellence in Fertility Program (CEFP), Hope is connected to and studies with the top Oriental reproductive specialists throughout the world.  The CEFP is a group of highly skilled practitioners dedicated to advancing the treatment of fertility with acupuncture and herbal medicine through The Fertile Soul Method.  Hope is the only acupuncturist in the Charlotte metro area offering treatments based on The Fertile Soul Method.

Hope is also a North Carolina licensed acupuncturist and nationally board certified in Oriental Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).  She completed a four year Oriental medical program at the prestigious Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, NM where she earned a Masters of Science degree in Oriental Medicine.   Hope further studied acupuncture and Chinese medicine in China, and she completed hospital internships at the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center and the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Hope has also received advanced training in reproductive medicine and the treatment of women's health issues with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.  She has had the privilege to study reproductive medicine with renowned practitioners such as Dr. Randine Lewis (author of The Infertility Cure), Dr. Mike Berkley, and Bob Flaws.

Hope is a member in good standing of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM), the National Certification Commission for Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and the North Carolina Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCAAOM).  Hope blends the use of her knowledge and skills of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and traditional Oriental nutrition with her strong compassion and desire to help women with their health issues.

Hope Peek, LAc, FABORM featured on the Debra Kennedy Show 

Fertility Enhancement with Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
No matter if you are taking a modern approach to fertility treatment (through IVF, IUI, etc.), or want to take a natural approach, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can increase the chances of becoming pregnant and having a child.  Acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine has been shown to:

• Regulate the menstrual cycle 
• Regulate hormones by reducing stress 
• Improve blood flow to the ovaries & uterus 
• Improve ovarian function: encourages production of follicles & enhances their quality
• Improve the thickness of the uterine wall lining
• Reduce uterine contractions after embryo transfer 
• Reduce the chance of miscarriage 
• Lessen the side effects of pharmaceuticals
• Enhance the immune system 
• Improve sperm parameters (at least 3 months of treatment) 
• Improve quality of oocytes (at least 3 months of treatment)


Treatment Programs
All acupuncture treatment plans are tailored to the specific needs of each patient.  However, gathering what we know from research and past experience, there are some general guidelines to be aware of and follow.  Ideally, it is best to consult with an acupuncturist at least 3-4 months before beginning any fertility treatment.  This allows the time to make the necessary diet, lifestyle, and exercise changes necessary to get the body into a more balanced, supportive state for increased fertility.  It also allows the time for the optimal number of acupuncture & herbal medical treatments.

Acupuncture & Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
It is ideal  to consult with your acupuncturist 3-4 months before beginning a fertility treatment involving Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to develop a treatment plan.  Generally, when combining acupuncture with ART (such as IVF, IUI, etc.), it is optimal to begin at least 1 acupuncture treatment per week for at least 3 months prior to the ART procedure.  During the follicular stimulation phase (by pharmaceuticals), the acupuncture treatment frequency is commonly increased to twice per week.  Also, it is optimal to receive an acupuncture treatment 12-48 hours both before and after the ART procedure.

Natural Fertility Treatment Only
If you are attempting to achieve a pregnancy through natural means only, the average treatment course is between 3-6 months.  Treatment frequency will depend on many factors, including: age, previous pregnancy history, general health, menstrual irregularities, and the etiology of infertility (both Western & Eastern diagnoses).  In addition to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine plays a large role in the natural infertility treatment plan.  Lifestyle, dietary, and exercise changes will also be a very important part of the treatment plan.

Complicating Factors: 
These following factors may warrant a longer acupuncture treatment plan and/or more frequent acupuncture treatments:    
      Female:
• near the age of 40
• previously taken fertility drugs
• undergone previous ART procedures
• polycystic ovaries
• experiences PMS
• elevated FSH level
• history of endometriosis
• produces antibodies to sperm
      Male:
• history of sexually transmitted disease
• history of urinary tract infections
• history of prostatitis or other urological issues
• chronic low back pain


Acupuncture & ART - Clinically Researched Protocols
There are currently two prominent protocols that have been researched.  They are as follows:

Sterner-Victorin et al Protocol: focused on acupuncture treatments leading up to IVF procedure
• Eight treatments before retrieval 
o Treat the patient twice a week for four weeks up to retrieval 
• Point Locations (all points are needled bilaterally) 
o UB 23 (black clip) to UB 28 (red clip) (one lead) 
o SP 6 (red clip) to UB 57(black clip) (one lead) 
o Electro-stimulation set from 0 – 100 Hz for 30 minutes 
• TDP lamp on the low back is optional for the patient

Paulus et al. Protocol: focused on acupuncture treatments right before & after embryo transfer
• Treat 12-24 hours before embryo transfer 
• Treat within 1 hour after embryo transfer 
• Pre transfer points 
o Du 20, PC 6, ST 29, SP 8, LIV 3 
o Ear points: Rt. Shen Men, Brain; Lt. Uterus & Endocrine 
• Place ear BB's in each ear using the same points & ask patient to stimulate them during transfer 
• Post transfer points 
o LI 4, SP 10, ST 36, SP 6 
o Ear Points: Rt. uterus & endocrine, Lt. Shen Men, brain


Medical Journal Articles
Below is a list of acupuncture related research recently published in medical journals.

General Acupuncture & Infertility
• Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture - Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Urban Waldenstrom, Sven A. Andersson and Matts Wikland 

• Acupuncture Normalizes Dysfunction of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis - Bo-Ying Chen M.D., Professor of Neurobiology 

• Effects of Electro-Acupuncture on Nerve Growth Factor and Ovarian Morphology in Rats with Experimentally Induced Polycystic Ovaries - Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Thomas Lundeberg, Urban Waldenstrom, Luigi Manni, Luigi Aloe, Stefan Gunnarsson, and Per Olof Janson

• Substitution of Acupuncture for HCG in Ovulation Induction - Cai Xuefen, Obstetrical & Gynecological Hospital, Zhejiang Medical University, Zhejiang Province

• Relationship Between Blood Radioimmunoreactive Beta-Endorphin and Hand Skin Temperature During The Electro-Acupuncture Induction of Ovulation - Chen Bo Ying M.D. Lecturer of Neurobiology, Institute of Acupuncture Research, and Yu Jin, MD., Prof of Gynecology, Obstetricus and Gynecology Hospital Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China

• Role of acupucture in the treatment of female infertility - Raymond Chang, M.D., The Institute of East-West Medicine, The Department of Internal Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Pak H. Chung, M.D., The Department of Internal Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Zev Rosenwaks, M.D., The Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility.

IVF & Acupuncture
• 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

• Acupuncture Treatment For Infertile Women Undergoing Intracytoplasmic Sperm injection - Sandra L. Emmons, MD, Phillip Patton, MD

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

• Influence of acupuncture stimulation on pregnancy rates for women undergoing embryo transfer - Caroline Smith, Ph.D., Meaghan Coyle, B.Hlth.Sc. (Acup.), and Robert J. Norman, MD

• Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study - Stefan Dieterle, MD, Gao Ying, MD, Wolfgang Hatzmann, MD, and Andreas Neuer, MD


Updates
Please check back soon for updates, or give us a call at 704.333.8899 for more information on acupuncture & fertility treatments.


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