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For couples having in vitro fertilisation with embryo transfer, how receptive the womb lining is – known as endometrial receptivity – is a major factor in whether an embryo successfully implants. Poor endometrial receptivity lowers success rates and adds to the emotional and financial strain of treatment. This review set out to gather what is currently known about how acupuncture and moxibustion may improve the readiness of the womb lining during fertility treatment.
The authors carried out a systematic search of four medical databases covering January 2020 to June 2025 and included 214 studies for analysis, appraising the quality of the trials with established assessment tools.
Across the included studies, acupuncture (manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation) and moxibustion (including wheat-grain, herbal-cake and warm-uterus moxibustion) were associated with improvements in endometrial thickness, blood flow, hormone levels and the proportion of women with a favourable endometrial pattern. Combined approaches, such as warm needling alongside acupuncture, appeared to add further benefit. The authors also outline possible biological mechanisms, including effects on cellular housekeeping pathways, implantation-related molecules and the growth of new blood vessels in the womb lining.
Conclusion: This review suggests acupuncture and moxibustion are promising additional therapies for improving endometrial receptivity during in vitro fertilisation, although the authors stress that larger, well-designed and standardised randomised controlled trials are still needed to confirm the benefits and agree on treatment protocols.
Source: Guo XZ, Qin Z, Wu DH and colleagues. Frontiers in Medicine (2025). View on PubMed (PMID 41743455) · doi:10.3389/fmed.2025.1702214
