The Use of Acupuncture as an Alternative Treatment Method for Ovarian Dysfunction: A Narrative Review

It is well known that diminished ovarian reserve is one of the main causes of infertility in older women. Also, due to the delayed reproductive age of women, there is a gradual increase in the number of elderly women using assisted reproduction techniques to assist pregnancy. However, due to the decrease in ovarian function, the sensitivity of ovaries to gonadotropin (Gn) is reduced and follicles fail to develop and mature to ovulation, which is one of the important reasons for cancelling cycles during the application of assisted reproduction for ovulation. Therefore, improving ovarian function is an important factor in improving pregnancy rates in advanced women during assisted conception. Modern medicine has no clear drugs to restore ovarian function in women, while acupuncture, as an effective and simple complementary and alternative therapy, has gradually become a hot spot for application in patients with reduced ovarian function in recent years. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the mechanism, clinical efficacy and future application prospects of acupuncture in improving ovarian function in women.