Fertility Massage: Can Massage Help with Fertility?

Loosening tight muscles, relieving headaches, and inviting a feeling of ahhh—zen: massages have plenty to offer the average spa-goer.

But can a massage also make you more fertile?

Many believers tout the “fertility massage” as a way to increase their chances of conception, among other methods such as using castor oil for fertility. If your previous attempts to conceive have been unsuccessful, you might be inclined to try any new strategy—especially if it involves lying down and getting pampered.

The truth is, fertility massages will not grant all your wishes, as some people claim. However, they may still offer important benefits for those trying to conceive. Keep reading to learn more about the magic of massage—and the science that backs it up (or doesn’t).

What Is a Fertility Massage?

A fertility massage (sometimes called an infertility massage) is a type of therapeutic massage that some claim can remedy infertility and help you become pregnant.

The practice is rooted in the traditional Chinese medicine notion of “qi,” or the body’s vital energy, and how it flows through the reproductive organs. Essentially, the idea is that a block in these organs’ qi can cause infertility, and a fertility massage can unblock it.

Fertility massages can encompass a variety of therapeutic techniques, including:

• Swedish massage – This is what most people think of as your typical “spa day” massage: long strokes and kneading motions meant to promote blood flow and relaxation.
• Reflexology – According to this therapy, points on the hands and feet are connected to different organs and systems in the body. By massaging these points, one can stimulate the corresponding systems—like the reproductive system.
• Acupressure – Similarly, acupressure involves applying pressure to specific points on the body to stimulate energy flow. It’s specifically rooted in traditional Chinese medicine.

Fertility massages may be performed by a massage therapist, but can also be done as a self-fertility massage at home by yourself or a partner. But do they actually work?

What Science Says About Massage and Fertility

Now for the most important question: Can massage help with fertility? To that, science doesn’t have any concrete answers. There is practically zero research on the potential relationship between massage and fertility. The purported fertility-boosting benefits of massage are based largely on anecdotal evidence and unsupported claims.

That said, many studies have shown that massage does boost something that may positively impact fertility: relaxation!

The Impact of Stress on Fertility

Unlike with fertility massages, there’s plenty of research surrounding the relationship between stress and fertility. Many researchers believe that stress plays a significant role in your ability to become pregnant. This is because stress can:

• Diminish egg quality – Stress increases levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone. Heightened cortisol impacts a number of the body’s internal functions, including the reproductive system. Studies have found that cortisol can block the production of the reproductive hormone estradiol, which can lead to deteriorated egg quality and reduced number of retrieved eggs, in the case of IVF.
• Alter ovulation – Spiked cortisol can also negatively interact with the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, the system in charge of regulating reproductive hormones. The stress hormone sets off a chain reaction that can decrease ovarian hormone production, in turn impacting ovulation.
• Reduce blood flow to the uterus – Additionally, excess cortisol can constrict the blood vessels, including those that bring blood to the uterus. This may make it harder to become pregnant, including for those using IVF treatments.

Stress can also impact the quality of a person’s semen, further limiting chances of conception.

This is where the benefits of massage therapy show their true colors—and there’s some science to back it up, too.

What are the potential benefits of massage when you’re trying to conceive?

While massage therapy won’t directly increase your chances of becoming pregnant, it can provide you with some good ol’ stress relief—and a few other goodies as well.

Improved Blood Flow to Reproductive Organs

Strong blood flow to the reproductive organs is good for fertility. That’s why stress and its impact on blood vessels can be so negative.

Practitioners claim that massage therapy, specifically Swedish massage, can improve blood flow throughout the body. Swedish massage incorporates certain techniques believed to help stimulate circulation, including:

• Gliding strokes
• Kneading
• Gentle friction
• Tapping

The benefits of Swedish massage therapy on blood flow are mostly based on anecdotal evidence, but a few studies have found a positive relationship between the two. For instance, a 2020 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that massaging a single limb boosted blood circulation in both the massaged and un-massaged limb.

Reduced Stress and Hormonal Balance

Given the information above, you now understand the many ways that stress can harm your chances of becoming pregnant. Turns out, massage therapy could be a decent remedy.

While no studies have looked into the exact effects of massage on stress-related infertility, several studies have shown that certain types of massage can relieve general stress and lower cortisol levels, creating a positive balance in the body. It does this by:

• Relieving physical stress markers – Some studies have found that massage, specifically trigger point therapy, can decrease physical markers of stress, including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Additionally, a quick chair massage can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels.
• Improving perceptions of psychological stress – Using self-reporting measures like the Perceived Stress Scale, the POMS Depression Scale, and the Anxiety State Scale, researchers have found that massage promotes stress relief and emotional well-being.

Again, there aren’t any studies demonstrating that stress relief from a massage can improve your fertility. That said, the physical and psychological balance that massage therapy provides may prime you for pregnancy.

Enhanced Relaxation and Emotional Well-being

If you’ve ever had a massage before, you’re likely familiar with the deeply relaxed state it can put you in. Lying in a dark, warm room for an hour while a professional releases all your muscle knots? Sign us up!

In addition to that, massage therapy can also help:

• Improve sleep – Your body needs quality sleep to ward off illness and promote overall physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Research shows that massage therapy can help improve sleep for a variety of demographics, including adults.
• Reduce anxiety – Anxiety disorders impact over 40 million U.S. adults, which can include those trying to conceive. Massage therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety for people living with a range of physical and mental conditions, as well as for healthy adults.
• Relieve depression – Massage therapy can improve mood and relieve symptoms of depression, such as persistent sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, and irritability.

Remember, improving these factors won’t guarantee a boost in fertility. However, doing so can’t hurt your chances of becoming pregnant—and odds are, it may even help!

Potential IVF Embryo Implantation Improvements

If you’re trying to conceive using in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, massage therapy may improve your chances of successful embryo implantation, according to a 2015 study. Researchers gave participants a 30-minute deep relaxation massage using a vibration device before a blastocyst transfer in a frozen cycle. These participants saw improved embryo implantation, possibly because the deep-relaxation massage had the following benefits:

• Reduced stress
• Reduced uterine contractions
• Boosted blood flow to the abdomen

While more research is needed, experts agree that these results are promising for relieving stress-related infertility with massage therapy.

Read more information on how to increase your fertility to delve deeper into fertility methods.

Who should try fertility massages?

Instead of thinking about massage as a fast track to increased fertility, picture it as a gateway to stress relief and relaxation, which may improve your chances of getting pregnant. A nice massage won’t necessarily benefit every person trying to conceive, but it can’t hurt either.

In particular, massages may appeal to those dealing with stress related to:

• Work
• Family
• Health or life changes
• Trouble conceiving

Let’s talk more about that last one: Fertility troubles can create stress and emotional strain for partners, which can in turn impact fertility—a nasty cycle, we know. Luckily, you can attempt to relieve fertility-related stress using common relaxation strategies, like mindfulness, deep breathing, exercise, and massage.

Remember to keep safety in mind and look into what is considered excessive exercise when trying to conceive, as well as additional situations when an abdominal massage may not be ideal as you go through your fertility research.

Before you run to your nearest masseuse, consider this: While massages feel great, they can only do so much to relieve stress, and they can’t address other potential causes of infertility. As you continue on your path to pregnancy, remember that it may simply take time to get the results you want.

And if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.

If you are fortunate in your fertility journey, continue to explore the effects of massages with the 8 benefits of prenatal massages.

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At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.

Sources:

1. Reproductive Medicine Associates. Does Fertility Massage Therapy Work? https://rmanetwork.com/blog/does-fertility-massage-therapy-work/
2. National Library of Medicine. Fertility Massage: an Unethical Practice? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5868897/
3. Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. Relaxing Swedish Massage. https://handandstone.com/massage/swedish-massage/
4. Journal of Applied Physiology. Lower limb massage in humans increases local perfusion and impacts systemic hemodynamics. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00437.2019
5. American Massage Therapy Association. Massage Therapy Can Relieve Stress. https://www.amtamassage.org/about/position-statements/massage-therapy-can-relieve-stress/
6. American Massage Therapy Association. Massage Therapy Can Help Improve Sleep. https://www.amtamassage.org/about/position-statements/massage-therapy-can-help-improve-sleep/
7. American Massage Therapy Association. Massage Therapy for Anxiety. https://www.amtamassage.org/about/position-statements/massage-therapy-for-anxiety/
8. American Massage Therapy Association. Massage Can Reduce Symptoms of Depression. https://www.amtamassage.org/about/position-statements/massage-can-reduce-symptoms-of-depression/