Acupuncture Can Make IVF More Comfortable, Study Says

Key Takeaways

• Acupuncture may help IVF treatments

• The practice significantly reduced pain, stress and anxiety among women undergoing IVF

• Other treatments like acupressure and light therapy also appeared to help

WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Ancient Chinese medicine techniques could prove extremely helpful in modern fertility treatment, a new study says.

Acupuncture significantly relieved stress and pain in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), researchers report.

“Our study demonstrates that acupuncture and whole-systems TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) can serve as a valuable tool to decrease pain, stress and anxiety – ultimately contributing to both improved outcomes and a more positive, holistic patient experience,” senior researcher Christine Kaiser, director of reproductive well-being at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health in Cleveland, said in a news release.

For the study, researchers tracked the use of acupuncture, acupressure and light therapy techniques on 146 women during 202 embryo transfers.

Overall, more than 88% of IVF cycles included these treatments on the day of embryo transfer, and about 65% of cycles featured treatments in the weeks leading up to embryo transfer, the study says.

Women reported clinically significant relief in their feelings of anxiety, stress and pain following acupuncture and other such treatments, results show.

On a 10-point rating scale, women’s anxiety dropped by an average 2.2 points, stress by 2.1 points, and pain by 1.4 points, results show.

The study also noted specific acupuncture and acupressure points that appeared to have the most benefit.

More IVF clinics are starting to incorporate acupuncture and other such practices into their reproductive health services, researchers said.

“Our patients often ask how complementary therapies impact IVF outcomes, and this study is a critical step toward providing high-quality data to guide those decisions,” researcher Dr. Rebecca Flyckt, division director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University Hospitals, said in a news release.

“Collaborative research like this helps us to better support patients not only medically, but emotionally and physically throughout their fertility treatments,” Flyckt added.

The new study appears in the journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.

More information

The American Pregnancy Association has more on acupuncture and fertility treatments.

SOURCE: University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, news release, June 19, 2025

What This Means For You

Women undergoing IVF should ask their doctor if acupuncture or other integrative therapies are available to them.