How Acupuncture Can Improve Egg Quality and Support IVF Success

For women undergoing IVF, egg quality is a central factor in success. As you age, the number of eggs needed to produce one chromosomally normal (euploid) embryo rises sharply (for example: ~5 eggs if <35, ~6 at 35–37, ~12 at 38–40, and 23–40+ if over 40).

Acupuncture is commonly used alongside IVF because research suggests it can create a healthier ovarian and uterine environment that supports better egg maturation and embryo development.

Key Ways Acupuncture May Help

1. Improves ovarian and uterine blood flow

Healthy follicles depend on good microcirculation to deliver oxygen, hormones, and nutrients. Animal and human studies show that acupuncture can increase ovarian perfusion and reduce uterine/ovarian vascular resistance — changes that improve follicle development.

2. Lowers stress hormones and anxiety that can interfere with reproduction

Elevated stress (cortisol) affects reproductive hormone balance. Studies in women undergoing IVF report acupuncture-associated reductions in cortisol and lower anxiety, which may help the body respond better to IVF medications and the IVF environment.

3. Modulates inflammation and immune factors

Excess pro-inflammatory cytokines and an imbalanced immune environment can harm follicle health and embryo implantation. Reviews and lab/clinical studies indicate acupuncture can lower pro-inflammatory mediators (e.g., TNF-α, IL-6) and shift immune signaling toward a less inflammatory state in the reproductive tract. This immune modulation could protect maturing eggs from inflammation-driven damage.

4. May improve ovarian response and markers in poor responders

Clinical reviews and pilot trials suggest acupuncture may help women with poor ovarian response (or diminished ovarian reserve) respond better to stimulation—improving ovarian blood supply and some ovarian function markers.

Several meta-analyses found higher clinical pregnancy rates with acupuncture versus controls. There is encouraging evidence that acupuncture can improve IVF outcomes.

What This Means For Egg Quality

While acupuncture cannot change chronological age, the research suggests it can improve the environment in which eggs mature — better blood flow, a less inflammatory milieu, improved hormonal balance, and reduced stress. Those changes can increase the chance that a given follicle will produce a mature, competent egg — which is especially valuable as the number of eggs needed for a euploid embryo increases with age.

Studies

• Stener-Victorin E. Ovarian blood flow responses to electroacupuncture (animal/human physiologic studies showing improved ovarian perfusion).
• Yu YP et al. Immediate Effect of Acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP6) on uterine arterial blood flow (human study).
• Magarelli PC et al. Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture in IVF patients (2009) — reported acupuncture-related reductions in stress markers.
• Xie Z et al. The effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF–ET): a systematic review and meta-analysis (2019) — showed benefits in some patient groups, noted heterogeneity in studies.
• Kim J. Acupuncture for Poor Ovarian Response (review, 2021) — discusses acupuncture’s potential to improve ovarian reserve markers and response in poor responders.
• Xu J et al. Acupuncture for Female Infertility: Discussion on Action Mechanisms (2022) — reviews mechanisms including immune modulation and microcirculation.
• Cochrane Review: Acupuncture and assisted conception (2013) — provides balanced assessment; found some positive trials but overall evidence quality varied and further high-quality RCTs were needed.

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