Anxiety and IVF: Can acupuncture help?
Struggling with infertility is hard. Really hard. Whatever issues are leading to difficulty conceiving, there can also be the additional burden of anxiety. People describe anxious feelings swirling around unanswered questions. Will I have a healthy baby? Can I carry a pregnancy? Will I even be able to get pregnant? Breathing becomes shallow, and the chest tightens. Maybe the heart beats a bit faster. Anxiety is very common and deteriorates people’s quality of life, so much so that it can cause them to stop trying before they reach their goal.
I have worked with people struggling with infertility and undergoing IVF for two decades using acupuncture and the whole system of East Asian Medicine. We work together to help them manifest their family-building goals into reality. I’ve also published research looking at ways acupuncture may help people struggling with infertility and undergoing IVF. In addition to assisting them in conceiving alongside IVF, I recently published a study examining whether acupuncture provided any benefit to anxiety related to IVF.
When we looked at eight studies that assessed changes in anxiety with acupuncture in 1,785 patients undergoing IVF, we found acupuncture significantly reduced anxiety, similar to other psychological therapies. Our study did have some limitations as there were a moderate number of studies that measured anxiety. There were also many differences in the acupuncture treatments (how many and how often), the type of control arm, and how anxiety was measured. It is also possible that these results could change as more research is done.
When I work with patients, I support them wherever they are in their process. If we focus on an egg or embryo freezing cycle, then our focus is on helping their ovaries to produce the highest quality eggs possible. If we focus on a frozen embryo transfer, we prepare their uterus to be as receptive to implantation as possible. All the while, we are supporting the whole person: their body, mind, and spirit. We also work with men and people with sperm to help improve their sperm if needed.
In East Asian Medicine, we do not separate emotions from other conditions. We assess and address them together with acupuncture and other modalities. If you are dealing with infertility, anxiety, and are going through IVF, reach out. You don’t have to suffer alone. Contact me with questions.