As the use of acupuncture and complementary medicine becomes more prevalent and accessible throughout the US and the world, more and more people are turning to these modalities to help them enhance fertility, both at home and in the assisted reproductive technology clinic. But just what does it mean when you are using acupuncture for fertility and why would working with a specialist be any better than just a highly trained acupuncturist?

First off, it’s worth noting that not everybody has access to a fertility specialist, and if that’s the case, fine. Remember that Chinese medicine is fundamentally balancing in nature, and even if your acupuncturist doesn’t specialize in treating infertility, your treatment will still benefit you. Or perhaps you already have an established relationship with your acupuncturist and you prefer to work with them, even if they might not have that training. This is fine too, and in fact, this is the beauty of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. The needles can help adjust energy and blood flow in a way that will support your goals even if the treatment is more general in nature.

But those who choose to work with a fertility specialist will have access to a provider with special training in diagnosis, herbs, diet, and point selection as it relates to reproductive health and fertility, which can help guide treatment where the diagnosis is PCOS, endometriosis, or male factor fertility, among others. Beyond this, a fertility specialist has training in western medical reproductive endocrinology, can help you interpret lab results, and can walk you through the ins and outs of common procedures in the western fertility clinic. This can be enormously helpful when you need your IVF protocol explained to you in plain English, or in some cases, suggestions on what lab work to request from your physician. This is one of the huge values of working with a fertility acupuncturist- having someone to create a bridge of understanding between Chinese and western medicine, which helps you play a more active role in your care.

If you’re someone who believes the proof is in the pudding, then you may take heart to know that many fertility specialists in the field of Chinese medicine, do extensive research, writing, and publishing. In fact, the role of acupuncture in supporting fertility has been so well-documented throughout multiple medical journals that many reproductive endocrinologists and OB/GYNs refer their patients for acupuncture treatment to help complement their own recommendations. In our clinic, we work together with a number of western medical providers to help you get to your goals faster.

Finally, an important, albeit overlooked benefit to choosing to work with a specialist is that we treat people within the family- building space all the time. That means we have a unique understanding of all of the emotions that go along with success, failure, and complications of this process. We are able to better hold space for you and your feelings because we know exactly how you feel.

Wherever you are in your family-building journey and whatever those steps look like for you, we have a warm and knowledgeable team that can help support you no matter what. Schedule a complementary 15-minute consult today. Click to Schedule

Molly L.A.c.