Researchers in Brazil have concluded that acupuncture can reduce the symptoms of anxiety in women undergoing a course of IVF treatment. A total of 43 women were randomly allocated to receive either true acupuncture, or sham acupuncture using needles inserted in the vicinity of, but not actually at, acupuncture points. Treatment comprised four weekly sessions, after which the mean IVF anxiety score in the acupuncture group was significantly lower compared to the sham treatment group.
(Effect of Acupuncture on Symptoms of Anxiety in Women undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study. Acupuncture in Medicine, April 2012, epub ahead of print.)