Does Acupuncture Help with Fertility and Egg Freezing?

Benefits of Fertility Acupuncture

Here are some other studies that noted the benefits of acupuncture:

1. Acupuncture may help with hormonal regulation and blood flow

Acupuncture may help regulate your reproductive hormones and increase blood flow to your ovaries and uterus. 

Especially for women with poor ovarian response, studies showed that acupuncture during controlled ovarian stimulation (the treatment part of the protocol) improved blood flow to reproductive organs and regulated hormone secretion, both crucial for healthy egg development. 

There was an improvement in oestrogen, LH (Leutinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) levels with regular acupuncture sessions over 8 weeks.

Researchers believe acupuncture impacts the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which controls your menstrual cycle and ovulation.

2. Acupuncture may positively impact pregnancy rates in IVF cycles 

While not specifically egg freezing cycles, Acupuncture has been associated with improved clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) and live birth rates (LBR) in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Even among the types of acupuncture, Studies suggest that traditional acupuncture (TA) and transcutaneous electrical accupoint stimulation (TEAS) had benefits on clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR). 

A 2019 review showed that women who received more than three sessions of acupuncture during their IVF cycles had higher pregnancy rates – up to 50-60% higher, particularly for women who had previously unsuccessful cycles.

3. The Timing of Acupuncture may improve cycle outcomes

With acupuncture, the timing and the frequency matters. Based on studies, acupuncture during controlled ovarian stimulation (the medication phase) of fresh IVF cycles, led to improvements in the pregnancy rates. 

Additionally, acupuncture before freeze-thaw embryo transfer (FET) was associated with improved pregnancy outcomes in frozen cycles.

This data is partially relevant to egg freezing cycles, as the process is essentially the same, such as ovarian stimulation and embryo transfer. It’s worth chatting with your acupuncturist and doctor before deciding whether to take up acupuncture during stimulation or post egg retrieval.

4. Acupuncture may improve ovarian function in PCOS patients

In patients with PCOS, it was found that acupuncture could decrease hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. These are hallmarks of PCOS, which are linked to poor egg quality and ovulatory dysfunction. 

In the same study, it was found that acupuncture reduces LH, testosterone, and the LH/FSH ratio, which are often elevated in PCOS and negatively affect follicle maturation.

Essentially, it does this by affecting the neuroendocrine system, which plays an essential role in the development of PCOS. The neuroendocrine system includes the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis (the hormone headquarters 🏢). This affects the secretion of ovarian-related hormones, such as estradiol, FSH, and LH, which are essential for normal ovarian function and menstrual cycles.

5. Acupuncture reduces stress levels

Let’s face it- fertility treatments, be it IVF or egg freezing, come with their own stress baggage. One of the most common benefits brought up by patients post-acupuncture sessions is the reduced levels of stress. 

Acupuncture does this by flooding the body with endorphins, ultimately managing or reducing the stress response associated with infertility and infertility-related treatment. By reducing stress and anxiety, it also helps balance cortisol levels, which can benefit hormonal regulation. 

Especially for people who have higher and chronic levels of stress, trying out these acupuncture sessions could help de-stress and ultimately benefit their treatment preparation or cycle. 

How to Select an Acupuncturist?

We get it, searching for the right acupuncturist might require a bit of research beforehand. After all, being comfortable with the environment and the practitioner is priority, before you sign in for those sessions.

Here’s how you can get started:

• Start with trusted recommendations: Your fertility clinic or doctor likely has a network of acupuncturists they regularly work with. These practitioners understand the medical side of fertility treatments and how to complement them perfectly.
• Test the waters first: Before committing to regular sessions, schedule a quick consultation call to see if you vibe with their approach. Chat on the phone if possible, or visit their practice for a quick look before booking an appointment.
• Check that insurance coverage: Some plans actually cover acupuncture treatments, especially when they're recommended by your doctor. 
• Word of mouth: Don't hesitate to ask friends, family, or your online fertility community for their personal experiences. These real-talk recommendations often lead you to practitioners who've actually helped others with similar fertility challenges.

Should I go for Acupuncture During Egg freezing?

Based on what we’ve heard from patients, doctors and in general, fertility acupuncture can be a great addition to your treatment preparation for egg freezing. 

But here’s a quick checklist of what you need to consider:

Additionally, here are some things to keep in mind:

Lastly, a tip from patients is that the more you attend sessions, the more it helps. Rather than a quick fix, with acupuncture, your body takes time to get used to the process and its benefits.

Ultimately, it’s great as an adjuvant therapy, and it comes down to your personal preference. Doing it may benefit you, but this varies for each individual and their response to the treatment. 

It’s also just as important to see an acupuncturist with specialist knowledge of fertility or reproductive medicine and has experience treating patients going through egg-freezing or IVF cycles.

How Amilis can help on your Egg Freezing Journey 

Being in the right hands, or having the right support, matters at every stage of the egg freezing journey. Be it during your acupuncture sessions, or the clinic you visit, and the doctors you trust during your cycle.

That’s why at Amilis, we’ve made it our priority to support you at every stage of your cycle, provide discounted tests and free consultations, and make fertility care accessible and affordable for millions of women in the UK.

Here’s how we do it:

• Zero waiting times to test your fertility. Book a fertility test anytime, at your convenience.
• A full hormone panel at just £130 and an AMH test for just £80 (50% cheaper than fertility clinics)
• A personalised report on your hormone levels and what they could mean for your fertility 
• Book free consultations with expert doctors to discuss results and next steps
• Book free consultations with the best fertility clinics across the UK

When you opt to start your fertility journey via Amilis, you also get a stellar support team (that’s us 👋) guiding you along at every step! 

Figuring out where to get started? Book a free chat, or take our personalised fertility quiz to know more!

We’re making healthcare accessible and affordable in the UK, one day at a time 💪🏻

Frequently asked questions 

1. When is the best time to have acupuncture for fertility?

The best timing depends on your specific treatment:

• For IVF/egg freezing cycles: Research shows acupuncture is most effective when done during the ovarian stimulation phase and before egg retrieval or embryo transfer. Given that the frequency also plays a role, multiple sessions throughout your cycle work might work better than just one or two treatments.
• For natural conception: Regular sessions (typically 1-2 times weekly) for at least 8-12 weeks can help regulate your menstrual cycle. Some fertility acupuncturists recommend starting 3 months before trying to conceive.
• For embryo transfer: Studies show benefits when acupuncture is done both before and after the transfer procedure.

2. Does acupuncture improve egg quality?

While acupuncture does help with improving blood flow and hormonal regulation, there are little to no studies that indicate a direct improvement in egg quality. The factors that it does affect, may improve ovarian health, which may indirectly protect egg quality. Moreover, age is the biggest factor that affects egg quality, followed by your genetic and medical history.

3. Does acupuncture improve AMH?

There are no large-scale studies that conclusively show acupuncture significantly increases AMH levels. However, acupuncture may help improve ovarian function by improving blood flow and hormone regulation, which could indirectly support your reproductive health. For women with diminished ovarian reserve, acupuncture might be beneficial as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, but shouldn't be relied upon as the primary method to improve AMH.

4. Does acupuncture increase egg count?

Acupuncture can't create new eggs—we're born with all we'll ever have—but along with lifestyle changes, it may help preserve the quality of existing eggs and optimize how many mature during treatment cycles. The benefits of acupuncture include improving blood flow to the ovaries, supporting hormonal balance and reducing stress- factors that contribute to regulating your menstrual cycle. While it won't increase your egg reserve, many patients report improved follicle development after adding acupuncture to their fertility routine.

5. How often should you do acupuncture for fertility?

It’s beneficial to have acupuncture sessions once or twice a week. This way, your body gets accustomed to the procedure, and the benefits can be observed. Acupuncture can be done at any point in your menstrual cycle, before your egg retrieval, and even after retrieval recovery.