For couples looking for an edge in dealing with fertility—or just a way to relax while “trying”—there are more options in massage and bodywork than ever before.

The research is clear: Getting a regular massage reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, lowers pain, improves immunity, and alleviates depression. Can massage help you get pregnant?

Perhaps, says Paul C. Magarelli, M.D., Ph.D., founder and director of Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centers in Colorado Springs and Albuquerque. “There is enough data that shows massage improves blood flow and reduces stress,” he says, but then adds that it’s still not known whether massage will, for example, improve blood flow specifically in the pelvis, a key factor in fertility. Without more research, most fertility experts, including Dr. Magarelli, see massage as a harmless and beneficial way to cut tension. “Treatments that reduce stress—yoga, walking, meditation, massage, reading—all contribute to a sense of peace as patients go through the rollercoaster of infertility evaluation and care,” says Dr. Magarelli, adding that while “there are very little data to support massage’s role in getting pregnant, there is reasonable data to support its stress-reduction role in maintaining a pregnancy.”