Fertility Acupuncture: Everything You Need to Know
Everything you need to know to get started with fertility acupuncture.
Have you been trying to get pregnant for months without success?
Have you been told that fertility acupuncture can improve your IVF outcomes?
Have you wanted to try acupuncture but are unsure who to see or what to expect?
In this blog I am going to break down everything you need to know about fertility acupuncture including when you should get it, how it improves IVF success rates, and what diagnoses it treats.
What I am going to cover:
What is fertility acupuncture?
Who is fertility acupuncture for?
What diagnoses are treated with fertility acupuncture?
How does fertility acupuncture support IUI and IVF success?
Where are the best acupuncture points for fertility?
What to expect from a fertility acupuncture session.
What else do you recommend besides fertility acupuncture when trying to get pregnant?
When should you get started with fertility acupuncture?
The Karuna Acupuncture approach to fertility acupuncture.
What does fertility acupuncture cost?
What makes an acupuncturist a fertility specialist?
How to find a fertility acupuncturist near you.
Learn more about Karen Lang and Karuna Acupuncture.
What is fertility acupuncture?
Fertility acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into specific acupuncture points in the body that work to balance hormones, optimize blood flow, regulate the nervous system, and restore health and well-being.
In general, fertility acupuncture works to:
regulate your menstrual cycles
improve blood flow to the ovaries, uterus and endometrium
improve egg and sperm quality
reduce stress and anxiety
support overall health.
Acupuncture has been practiced for over 2,500 years and even back then it was used to optimize fertility. Modern day fertility acupuncture blends this time-tested ancient knowledge with current scientific understanding of the biochemistry of infertility.
Who is fertility acupuncture for?
Fertility acupuncture is for anyone wanting to optimize their fertility at any point in their fertility journey. Whether you are trying to get pregnant naturally or using advanced technologies like IVF and IUI fertility acupuncture can boost your chances of a healthy conception and pregnancy.
In short, fertility acupuncture is for anyone with ovaries or a uterus or sperm that wants to conceive a child!
Fertility acupuncture supports optimal fertility for those with underlying diagnoses impacting their fertility and for those that just want to be their healthy best and improve their chances of conception.
What diagnoses are treated with fertility acupuncture?
Fertility acupuncture addresses and treats the root cause of infertility and conditions that may impact optimal fertility.
Diagnoses I commonly treat include:
Premature ovarian failure
Secondary infertility
Ovulatory disorders
Thin endometrial lining
Recurrent miscarriage and pregnancy loss
Low sperm count
Sperm motility and morphology issues.
How does fertility acupuncture support IUI and IVF success?
Acupuncture has successfully been used alongside IVF since the first research studies in the late 1990s. Early studies found that acupuncture on or around embryo transfer significantly improved IVF pregnancy rates. These studies found that acupuncture increases blood flow to the reproductive organs which may increase the quality and quantity of eggs as well as uterine thickness and receptivity.
More recently, a study by Hullender Rubin et al (2015) found that whole systems traditional Chinese medicine was associated with greater odds of live births than IVF alone or IVF with day of acupuncture. In this study, whole systems traditional Chinese medicine included individualized acupuncture once or twice a week throughout the IVF process, individualized diet and lifestyle suggestions, nutritional supplement recommendations, and individualized Chinese medicine herbal formulas. Exactly the way I practice so it is nice to see some research supporting improved outcomes!
Where are the best acupuncture points for fertility?
Acupuncture points important to fertility are found on every part of the body! I select points based on where you are at in your menstrual cycle, where you are at in your IUI/IVF cycle (if appropriate), what your Chinese medicine diagnosis is, and how you are feeling on that particular day.
Some of these acupuncture points are found:
Above your ankle
On your feet
Below your knee, on the front and sides of your leg
In your ears
On your head
In your lower abdomen
Along the spine
On your hands and wrists.
Nothing in acupuncture should hurt. You may feel a little tingle, heaviness, or achiness where a needle is inserted. Most people find acupuncture to be deeply relaxing. One of my goals during your treatment is to promote a parasympathetic state – activating the rest-digest-relax aspect of your nervous system.
What to expect from a fertility acupuncture session.
Your first fertility acupuncture session with Karuna Acupuncture will be an hour and a half. We will talk in depth about your health history, reproductive health history, fertility goals, current diet and lifestyle and more. I will take a look at your tongue and feel your pulses – both aspects of making a diagnosis in Chinese medicine. You will also receive your first treatment! I’ll give you a sense of what I am seeing from both a Chinese medicine and biomedicine perspective and a treatment plan. I’ll also follow-up with diet and lifestyle suggestions that are specific to addressing your unique patterns.
I typically see patients at least once a week. Follow-up acupuncture appointments last an hour. If you are trying to conceive naturally plan on seeing me weekly for at least 3 months. If you are starting IVF then we’ll talk about when to integrate acupuncture to improve your chance of a successful pregnancy.
What else do you recommend besides fertility acupuncture when trying to get pregnant?
In addition to acupuncture, I may recommend:
Chinese herbal medicine
Targeted supplements
Dietary and lifestyle adjustments
Practices to support mental health and wellbeing
Ovulation monitoring.
Chinese herbal medicine has been used to support optimal fertility for as long, or even longer, than acupuncture has been used. Similar to acupuncture, herbal formulas work to address the underlying or root cause of infertility and support optimal blood flow, hormone balance, egg and sperm quality and uterine receptivity. I only use herbal formulas from brands that test the herbs for purity in the United States and follow Good Manufacturing Process as dictated by the WHO and FDA.
I may also recommend supplements that address your unique needs. I don’t have a list of supplements that every fertility patient should take. Every person is different and what worked for your best friend to get pregnant may not be what you need. Everything that you put in your body has to be processed by your liver or kidneys, so what you take should be specifically targeted to what you really need.
I spend a lot of time with my patients on what they eat, how they move and what their headspace is like. I will make dietary recommendations that are specific to your diagnosis and will best support your fertile potential. We’ll take a look at what you are doing, if anything, for exercise and optimize that for your unique needs and according to where you are at in your cycle.
Your emotional body is as important as your physical body. If you are totally stressed out and running on empty your body is not going to prioritize reproduction. If you have been riding the rollercoaster of hope-anxiety-depression for a while it may be grinding you down. Acupuncture is a great way to support your nervous system, reduce stress and make the monthly rollercoaster and two week wait more manageable. I may also recommend some specific breathwork, meditation and mindfulness practices as well.
Depending on your particular root cause I may also recommend modalities like castor oil packs or Maya abdominal therapy.
Lastly, many of my patients come in not sure when they are ovulating. This may be particularly true if you have irregular or infrequent cycles. If you are trying to get pregnant naturally I will go over a variety of ways to monitor ovulation, and thus peak fertility, from low tech to high tech. Together we will find ones that are a good fit for you so you understand how your own body is working.
When should you get started with fertility acupuncture?
Ideally you should start receiving acupuncture at least 3 months before trying to get pregnant or starting with IUI or IVF. Why? Because eggs and sperm mature in 3 month cycles so the first 100 days before conception are the most important. During this time we will address any underlying causes of infertility while maximizing egg and sperm quality and uterine receptivity. Think of it as your zero trimester. I have had patients getting ready to start IVF and they pregnant naturally during this 3 month preconception time!
That said, I work with you wherever you are at in your fertility journey. Some patients start acupuncture during their first IVF embryo transfer or after failed IVF retrieval cycles. Some patients come in after trying to get pregnancy naturally for many months and continue trying each month while we work together.
No matter where you are at in your fertility journey, I will tailor treatments to optimize fertility and support your changes of a healthy conception and healthy pregnancy.
If you are utilizing IVF, we can do acupuncture during the stimulation and egg retrieval phase to maximize egg quality and quantity, during the transfer phase to prepare your uterine lining and during the post implantation and early pregnancy phase to support implantation and staying pregnant for a healthy first trimester.
The Karuna Acupuncture approach to fertility acupuncture.
Optimal fertility is a natural extension of health and wellbeing. As a Chinese medicine practitioner I am looking holistically at the health of your mind, body and spirit. While you may come in to see me with diagnoses like PCOS, endometriosis, secondary infertility or low ovarian reserve I take a look at the whole picture, the whole you. I want to collaborate WITH you to help you reach peak fertility. I am not here to fix you because you, my dear, are not broken.
I take an integrative approach so I will be looking at any laboratory tests and other biomedical examinations you have had while also developing my own Chinese medicine diagnosis. I am always considering both your general health and reproductive health from a Western biomedicine perspective and a Chinese medicine perspective. I like to think of myself as being bilingual in western and Chinese reproductive medicine. Many of my patients tell me that their doctor gave them a diagnosis but I helped them understand what it is, how it may affect their fertility and we can do together to manage it.
I will give you an individualized treatment plan designed to support your goals which, for my fertility patients, is a healthy baby or healthy eggs for fertility preservation. Your treatment plan will include acupuncture and any number of other supportive modalities outlined above [link]
I take time with my patients. Your first appointment with me is an hour and a half and we talk through everything (and I mean everything) so I fully understand your health and reproductive history and you fully understand your individualized treatment plan.
For follow-ups there is plenty to time to update me on how you are doing, look at BBT charts if you are doing that, answer questions, vent, cry, rejoice. All those things happen at various times in the treatment room. I love being there for all of them. My patients feel seen, heard, valued. Some patients say that it is their 20-minute therapy session each week. While I am trained as a social worker, I don’t pretend to be your therapist. However, it is profoundly healing and grounding to have space to be honest and real, seen and heard.
What does fertility acupuncture cost?
The cost of fertility acupuncture will vary by the provider and how long you are receiving care. At Karuna Acupuncture we are not in network with any insurance companies because most insurance companies do not cover acupuncture for fertility.
You can see our fee schedule here. If you have out of network acupuncture benefits, I am happy to provide you with a superbill to submit for reimbursement.
What makes an acupuncturist a fertility specialist?
Most acupuncturists graduate with a Masters or Doctorate degree in acupuncture or acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. We usually graduate as general practitioners and may choose to specialize in treating specific conditions by pursuing continuing education in that topic. Many of us who specialize in fertility are Fellows of the Acupuncture and TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine (ABORM). To be an ABORM Fellow we passed a rigorous, voluntary exam that demonstrates we have advanced knowledge of fertility from both a Chinese medicine and a western reproductive medicine lens. Karen Lang, owner of Karuna Acupuncture, is an ABORM Fellow.
How to find a fertility acupuncturist near you.
If you are looking for a fertility acupuncturist and are not near Longmont, Colorado where Karuna Acupuncture is located then I suggest the following resources.
The first place to look for a fertility acupuncturist is the practitioner listing of The Acupuncture and TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine (ABORM). ABORM Fellows have passed a rigorous, voluntary exam that demonstrates they have advanced knowledge of fertility from both a Chinese medicine and a western reproductive medicine lens. If you do not have an ABORM fellow near you, you can check with your local fertility clinics to see if they have a list of recommended acupuncture providers.
You can also find licensed acupuncturists in your area on the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) website or your state professional licensing board website. You will want to make sure they have experience in treating infertility.
Learn more about Karen Lang and Karuna Acupuncture.
The boring stuff: I graduated from Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine in 2014 and am licensed to practice in the beautiful state of Colorado. I am a Fellow of the Acupuncture and TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine. I am currently in an acupuncture doctorate program through Five Branches University. I also have a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work from Wayne State University and spent 20 years working in the field of sexual violence response and prevention before becoming an acupuncturist.
Perhaps less boring: I love helping people become pregnant! I did not go to Chinese medicine school with this in mind. I just wanted to help facilitate health and wellbeing using a medicine that I found to be powerfully transformative in my own life. When I opened in my clinic in Atlanta I had more and more women coming to me for help with fertility and other reproductive health issues. I found that I loved doing this work and have spent the last decade cultivating my expertise in this area. Fertility acupuncture found me I guess and I am happy that it did. Of course I love the positive pregnancy test days and the happy baby photos. Who wouldn’t? Maybe it’s my social work background but I also get great satisfaction from walking along side my patients through all the ups and downs of the fertility journey. It’s not rainbows and unicorns every day and those cloudy days are some of the most important ones for me to provide support, a hug, and acupuncture to ease the way.
I designed Karuna Acupuncture to be an oasis of healing in Longmont. Patients always comment on how peaceful the energy in the clinic is which lets me know I achieved my goal. Karuna is a Sanskrit word that is generally translated as “compassion.” It is a foundational value and guiding principle for my work here at Karuna Acupuncture.
In this post I tried to address all the common questions that I receive about fertility acupuncture. If you have remaining questions please reach out!
If you are located in or near Longmont, Colorado and if you are ready to get started on optimizing your fertility book a free consultation and we can chat more.
References
Hullender Rubin, L. E., Opsahl, M. S., Wiemer, K. E., Mist, S. D., & Caughey, A. B. (2015). Impact of whole systems traditional Chinese medicine on in-vitro fertilization outcomes. Reproductive biomedicine online, 30(6), 602–612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.02.005
Next on your reading list:
Acupuncture Improves Poor Ovarian Response in IVF: Recent Research
Does AMH Really Matter for Fertility?