Clinical study on warming-needle moxibustion for infertility patients with thin endometrium

Abstract Objective To explore the effect of warming-needle moxibustion on the endometrial thickness and pregnancy outcome. Methods Forty infertility women, selected from those who visited the TCM department of Maternity and Child Care Centers in Fujian Province from October 2015 to October 2016, were enrolled in this study. These women had mature follicle and successful ovulation according to B ultrasound monitoring, but their endometrial thickness was thinner than 7 mm. The women were divided into warming-needle moxibustion group (group A, 20 cases) and medication group (group B, 20 cases). In group A, acupuncture, warming-needle moxibustion and electroacupuncture were conducted at different clinical stage. In group B, progynova was given to the patients from the 7th day of menstruation to the 14th day after ovulation (2 tablets, bid oral administration in the morning and evening). The treatment lasted for 3 menstrual cycles, and the endometrial thickness changes and pregnancy rate of the patients in the two groups were compared after treatment. Results The endometrial thickness of patients in the two groups increased after treatment when compared with the thickness before treatment. The average endometrial thickness in group A increased from (5.23 ± 1.57) mm before treatment to (8.31 ± 2.80) mm after treatment, while the average endometrial thickness in group B increased from (5.27 ± 0.99) mm before treatment to (8.32 ± 1.97) mm after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (both P  P  > 0.05). After treatment for 3 menstrual cycles, the pregnancy rate of infertility women in group A was 25%(5/20) and 15%(3/20) in group B. Conclusion Warming-needle moxibustion can increase the endometrial thickness to a certain extent, thus improving the endometrial receptivity, enhancing the embryo implantation rate, and improving the pregnancy outcome.