Why CCRM Fertility Patients in Centennial & Lone Tree Are Adding Acupuncture to Their IVF Protocol.
If you're a patient at CCRM Fertility in Lone Tree, you already know you're in some of the best hands in the country for IVF. CCRM consistently ranks among the top fertility clinics in the U.S. for success rates, and their team is thorough, data-driven, and genuinely committed to helping you build your family.
But here's what many CCRM patients tell me when they first walk through our door in Centennial, just a short drive away:
"My doctor said I could try acupuncture, but I wasn't sure where to start."
That's exactly why I'm writing this. If you're going through IVF at CCRM, or preparing to, here's what you need to know about how acupuncture fits in, when to start, and what to realistically expect.
What CCRM Itself Says About Acupuncture
CCRM's own medical team has written about acupuncture as a complementary option for IVF patients. Dr. Aaron Styer, a reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM, has noted that acupuncture is "an excellent option for optimizing the likelihood of success and to ease your ability to navigate infertility stressors."
That's meaningful coming from a fertility specialist. It reflects a broader shift in how integrative medicine is viewed in reproductive care. Acupuncture isn't replacing your IVF protocol. It's supporting your body's ability to respond to it.
How Acupuncture Supports an IVF Cycle
The research on acupuncture and IVF has grown substantially in recent years. Here's a clear-eyed summary of what we know:
Stress and Cortisol Reduction
This is the most well-established benefit. IVF is emotionally and physically demanding, and chronic stress elevates cortisol, which can disrupt the hormonal balance your reproductive system depends on. A 2025 study from University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University analyzing nearly 1,900 treatments across 146 IVF patients found clinically meaningful reductions in anxiety, stress, and pain after just a single acupuncture session. Acupuncture has measurable effects on cortisol and nervous system regulation.
Blood Flow to the Uterus
Increased blood flow to the uterine lining is one of the key mechanisms by which acupuncture may support IVF outcomes. A well-nourished, thick endometrial lining improves the conditions for embryo implantation. Acupuncture stimulates nitric oxide production, which acts as a vasodilator, essentially helping blood move more freely to the areas that matter most during an embryo transfer cycle. A randomized controlled trial published in PubMed found that manual acupuncture performed around the time of egg retrieval significantly improved endometrial blood flow parameters in women undergoing IVF.Hormone Regulation
Hormone Regulation
Acupuncture stimulates the endocrine system, which plays a direct role in the hormones that govern your cycle: estrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LH. A literature review published in PMC analyzing human and animal studies found that acupuncture consistently influences sex hormone levels across a range of gynecological conditions. For patients with PCOS, irregular cycles, or diminished ovarian reserve, this regulation can be particularly meaningful alongside medical treatment.
Side Effect Relief During Stimulation
The medications used during ovarian stimulation can cause bloating, nausea, headaches, and mood swings. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine notes that acupuncture may help relieve side effects associated with fertility drugs, including bloating and nausea. Many of our patients report significant relief from these symptoms with regular acupuncture during their stim phase.
When Should You Start?
This is the most common question I hear, and the honest answer is: let’s get you in for a chat right away and come up with an individualized plan.
Most integrative fertility specialists recommend beginning acupuncture two to three months before your retrieval or transfer. The benefits are cumulative. Your body responds differently after six weeks of consistent treatment than it does after one session the day before your transfer.
The three-month window before retrieval or transfer is widely recommended for a specific biological reason: eggs take approximately 90 days to develop. Acupuncture started in that window has the opportunity to influence the egg quality and uterine environment that will matter on the day of your transfer. The benefits are also cumulative because your body responds differently after consistent weekly treatment than it does after a single session the week before.
That said, starting later is still starting. If you're already mid-cycle, acupuncture can still help with stress reduction, side effect management, and supporting your body in the days surrounding your embryo transfer.
Here's a general framework many of our CCRM-adjacent patients follow:
Pre-cycle (2–3 months out): Weekly sessions focused on cycle regulation, hormone balance, and reducing baseline stress
During stimulation: Sessions timed around your monitoring appointments to support follicle development and manage medication side effects
Around transfer: Sessions before and after embryo transfer, with a focus on uterine blood flow and nervous system calm
Post-transfer (two-week wait): Continued support for stress, sleep, and anxiety during the hardest waiting period of the process
What Makes Hawthorne Acupuncture Different for IVF Patients
I'm not a acupuncturist who occasionally sees fertility patients. This is my specialty, alongside sports medicine, which means I combine deep clinical training with an evidence-informed, Western-integrated approach.
I work with a lot of CCRM patients specifically because of our location in Centennial. You can come to us between appointments without adding an hour to your commute. We understand the CCRM protocol, we speak the language of your fertility team, and we time our treatments around your cycle milestones.
More importantly, we've sat across from women at every stage of this journey: the early optimism, the hard retrievals, the failed transfers, the tentative hope of a second cycle. We take this work seriously, and we take your journey seriously.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first appointment at Hawthorne isn't a quick needle-and-go. We spend time understanding your full reproductive history, your current protocol, where you are emotionally, and what your body needs. From there, we build a treatment plan that integrates with your CCRM care, not one that competes with it.
We also offer a free consultation so you can ask questions, get a feel for the space, and decide if we're the right fit before committing to treatment.
Ready to Get Started?
If you're an IVF patient at CCRM or another Lone Tree or Centennial fertility clinic, we'd love to support you. Hawthorne Acupuncture is located at 6551 S. Revere Pkwy, Suite 235, Centennial, CO 80111, just minutes from CCRM's Lone Tree campus.
Book your free consultation here →
Or call us directly at 720.452.2905.
Dr. Cheryl Kujawinski, DACM, L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Chinese Medicine specializing in women's reproductive health, fertility support, and sports medicine. She has over a decade of clinical experience and serves patients throughout Centennial, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Aurora, and the greater Denver metro area.
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Tags: IVF acupuncture Centennial CO, fertility acupuncture Lone Tree, CCRM acupuncture, acupuncture embryo transfer, fertility acupuncture Colorado, acupuncture IVF support Denver