Fertility acupuncture
Thinking about trying fertility acupuncture? Not sure what expect? Is it backed by research? Or is it woo woo? Many people are curious about how it works, where the needles are placed, whether it hurts, and what kinds of questions you’ll be asked. Let’s walk through the basics, so you know just what to expect from your acupuncture session.
How does fertility acupuncture work?
Fertility acupuncture gently supports your body’s natural fertility by helping to regulate hormonal balance and promoting overall health including reproductive health. Through the careful selection of acupuncture points tailored to your unique presentation (based on a Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis), acupuncture and moxibustion work to enhance blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, helping to create an optimal environment for conception. Acupuncture can help regulate hormones, regulate the menstrual cycle, manage stress and anxiety levels, and can address underlying issues affecting fertility. Fertility acupuncture can be beneficial by itself for natural fertility, or in preparation to support an assisted cycle such as IUI/ IVF.
Is Acupuncture “Woo Woo” or Supported by Science?
It’s natural to wonder if acupuncture falls into the “woo woo” category. After all, acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, long before modern medicine and clinical trials. But today, research is catching up with what practitioners and patients have observed for centuries.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that acupuncture can influence the body’s systems in measurable ways. For instance, acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, which in turn releases chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. Research suggests that acupuncture can be effective for a range of issues, from managing pain to supporting fertility.
The Research
Research into acupuncture and fertility has been growing vastly over the last few years. Acupuncture and moxibustion has shown to
While not every aspect of acupuncture is fully understood by Western medicine, the existing evidence supports its use as a complementary therapy in many areas. So, while acupuncture may seem mystical, it is also increasingly backed by science.
Where are the acupuncture points?
One of the first questions I often hear is, “Where will the needles go?” The short answer is, they can be almost anywhere. Fertility acupuncture points can be found all over the body—on the hands, feet, tummy, back, ears, face, and even the head. The specific points we choose for each session depend entirely on your individual diagnosis.
In Chinese medicine, we practice what’s called differential diagnosis, which means every treatment (and person) is unique. Each point is selected based on your personal signs and symptoms, your cycle, and what your body needs to help restore balance. So, while there are commonly used points for fertility, no two treatments are exactly the same.
For example, we may select acupuncture points to help reduce inflammation, improve a thin uterine lining, relieve stress and anxiety, or regulate your menstrual cycle. The choice of points often depends on where you are in your cycle. There are over 365 acupuncture points on the body, with some lineages of acupuncture featuring their own systems with over 700 points—even the ear alone has hundreds of points. Many acupuncturists also combine treatments with Chinese herbal medicine and personalised nutritional advice to further enhance their effectiveness.
Does it hurt?
This is another question I get often, and it’s completely understandable. The idea of needles can be daunting if you’ve never had acupuncture before. The good news? Most people find it to be far gentler than they expected. The needles are extremely fine—thinner than a hair—so the sensation is quite different from what you’d feel with, say, a blood test or injection.
You might feel a mild tingling, a gentle warmth, or a soft, heavy sensation around each point. Sometimes, people feel a deep sense of relaxation as the needles work to calm the body and mind. Most clients find acupuncture relaxing and even look forward to that peaceful feeling each session brings.
To reassure and set expectations, I have never had anyone discontinue acupuncture due to the needles being uncomfortable or too painful. Whilst some points can be a little more uncomfortable than others, generally they can be compared to the sensation of plucking an eyebrow hair. Please do share your experience if you have had acupuncture.
What will your acupuncturist want to know?
In short, everything. From your health history, your bowel movements, to every aspect of your menstrual bleed. Nothing is TMI, we want to know it all in order to make a thorough diagnosis and flag up anything that may warrant further investigation.
You can expect to be asked about things like:
• Your Menstrual Cycle: Details of your cycle, including its regularity, colour, clots, heaviness, spotting, pain, symptoms, and changes over time, can give us insight into your body’s unique rhythms.
• Testing and findings: Your practitioner will want to know if you have had a any testing or investigations such as hormonal panels, blood tests, HSG, laparoscopy, the finding, if there any diagnosed hormonal imbalances, they may ask to see your blood tests, semen analysis and any testing that has been done.
• Digestion, Energy, and Sleep Patterns: Chinese medicine views health as interconnected, so issues in other areas of health can affect fertility. Your acupuncturist will want to ask about your health in entirety such as sleep, how often you get sick, allergies, urine output and urgency, bowel movements, regularity, what’s normal for you. This is important information for a traditional acupuncturist to best support you.
• Lifestyle and Emotional Wellbeing: Stress and lifestyle factors can play a big role in fertility, and we may discuss ways to support these areas.
Your acupuncturist will look at all these elements to form a tailored plan for you, often with different points for different stages of your cycle.
What can you tell from my tongue and pulse?
The texture, colour, coating, shape, and swelling of the tongue can provide valuable insights into your health from a Chinese medicine perspective. It provides valuable information that complements the pulse diagnosis and your symptoms. Its possibje to identify symptoms from the tongue and pulse, from insomnia, palpitations, bladder and urinary issues. Together, these elements help acupuncturists create a comprehensive picture of your health, allowing us to identify the most prevalent patterns that need to be addressed first.
What can you expect over a course of acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a cumulative therapy, meaning that its effects build over time. Some clients may notice small improvements right away, while for others, it can take a few sessions to see changes. Either way, the goal is to have a regulatory effect on systems that need support.
If someone was coming for acupuncture for a specific pain, we can usually tell session by session if we’re making progress when the pain subsides. But with fertility acupuncture, it’s different in the sense we can’t measure improvement session by session. It’s not possible to measure improvement by pregnancy alone, as we only have a chance of pregnancy up to one time per month. It can also take at least three months to make a meaningful impact on reproductive health. Instead, we look at other signs that show you’re responding well. This might include changes in your period—such as bleed length or cycle phases—or shifts in symptoms, mood, sleep, and stress resilience.
All these markers give us valuable insight into how your body is responding to treatment. Patients often report that they are sleeping better, having better bowel movements, a healthier libido, less headaches, or just experiencing less stress and anxiety, this is a more fertile state. Think of it this way: when your body is effectively letting go of waste, that includes things like toxins, metabolised hormones and even just having healthy, regular bowel movements. Otherwise the body can reabsorb hormones such as estrogen and in turn create a hormone imbalance.
If your parasympathetic nervous system is active, you’re likely sleeping better, digesting well, and in a calmer, more fertile state. You might also notice you have more energy to exercise, which helps circulation and overall health. So even though these things may seem unrelated to fertility, they’re actually key pieces of the puzzle that all contribute to a healthy, balanced body, ready for conception.
A Gentle, Supportive Journey
Fertility acupuncture is not about a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about working together to create a calm, balanced optimal environment. I support my clients by taking a fresh look at testing and guiding them what testing they may wish to explore based on their journey and symptoms, I create bespoke treatment plans and offer individualised lifestyle guidance.
How to Find a Fertility Acupuncturist
Look for a licensed acupuncturist (Lic.Ac) with extensive training in both traditional acupuncture and fertility. Ideally, I recommend seeking a Fertility Support Trained Expert—these practitioners hold a degree in acupuncture, an advanced diploma in fertility, and commit to annual fertility-focused CPD to stay current with the latest recommendations and guidelines.
You might also consider choosing an Acupuncture Fertility Network member, who will be also be degree-qualified in acupuncture and have additional postgraduate training in fertility. Both pathways ensure a high level of expertise to support your fertility journey.
If you’re looking for acupuncture in Leicester, I would be delighted to work with you on your fertility journey. Feel free to join my waiting list here.
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