New Study Highlights Potential of Acupuncture in PCOS Treatment

The findings, published in Annals of Medicine, suggest that acupuncture could be a promising complementary approach to managing PCOS-related symptoms, though further high-quality research is needed for stronger clinical recommendations.

PCOS is a common endocrine disorder affecting reproductive-age women, often characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and metabolic complications. While conventional treatments such as hormonal therapy and lifestyle modifications remain the standard for managing PCOS, alternative therapies like acupuncture have gained attention for their potential benefits. Recognizing this, Jie Yang from the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China, and colleagues explored the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture and its combined therapies, comparing their efficacy to oral metformin in treating PCOS patients.

For this purpose, the researchers focused on three key outcome categories: hormonal, metabolic, and body weight indicators. Studies involving additional therapies beyond the specified interventions or including patients with other medical conditions were excluded. They also utilized data mining techniques, such as frequency statistics to assess the occurrence of acupuncture points and meridians involved, and the Apriori algorithm to conduct association rule analysis, identifying the most effective interventions.

The study led to the following findings:

• The study analyzed 46 articles (51 studies) covering six interventions: acupuncture with metformin, acupuncture alone, acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine and metformin, acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture with cupping, and auricular acupuncture with metformin.
• All six interventions demonstrated significant improvements across evaluated indicators.
• Data mining identified the Stomach meridian of foot yangming as the most frequently used meridian.
• The most commonly used acupuncture point combination included CV4, SP6, and ST36.

The study suggests that acupuncture and its combined therapies may offer benefits for PCOS. However, the authors highlight certain limitations, including the risk of bias and high heterogeneity in the included studies, which may affect the reliability of the findings. Additionally, the lack of blinding procedures further contributes to uncertainty.

"To strengthen clinical recommendations, future research should focus on high-quality, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials that minimize bias and improve consistency. Addressing these limitations will enhance the credibility of acupuncture as a therapeutic option for PCOS management," they concluded.

Reference:

Wu, T., Liu, Y., Kong, F., Hu, J., Liu, Y., Yang, J., & Chen, J. (2025). Improvement of endocrine and metabolic conditions in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome through acupuncture and its combined therapies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Medicine, 57(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2025.2477295