Expert Fertility Acupuncture. Personalized Care. Real Support.
Specialized acupuncture for women and men navigating IVF, FET, IUI, and natural conception. Private, one-on-one care in Columbia, planned around your cycle and your clinic's calendar.
Jason Rinker, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M. · Practicing since 1999 · Columbia, PA
Between the shots, the scans, and the waiting
Trying to conceive can take over your calendar. There are months of tracking and waiting, and with treatment come early monitoring visits, medications at night, and phone calls you wait on all day. It's a lot to hold.
Most people who come to me aren't looking for a miracle. They want a calm place to set it all down for a while and someone who pays close attention to how they're doing.
- Women preparing for or going through IVF
- Frozen embryo transfer cycles
- IUI, medicated or natural
- Trying to conceive on your own timeline
- Men looking after sperm health
- Couples who want to go through it together
- PCOS, endometriosis, or unexplained infertility
- Stress, poor sleep, and the strain of waiting
Start where you are
Each of these pages explains how I plan care for that part of the journey, what a first visit looks like, and what the research shows.
- IVF supportCare timed to stimulation, retrieval, transfer, and the two-week wait.Read more
- Frozen embryo transferCalm, steady visits through lining preparation and transfer day.Read more
- IUI supportVisits planned around monitoring, insemination, and the two-week wait.Read more
- Couples fertilityTwo tables, one visit. Each of you treated, side by side.Read more
- Male fertilitySperm health, lifestyle, and an honest look at what acupuncture can offer.Read more
- Natural conceptionVisits planned across your cycle while you try on your own.Read more
Two tables, so you can come in together
My private treatment room has two tables. When it's appropriate, I can treat both partners in the same appointment.
Each of you gets your own assessment and your own plan. I coordinate the two, so your care works together instead of on separate tracks.
- One appointment
- You come in together and rest side by side.
- Two plans
- Your histories, your goals, and your treatments stay individual.
If this sounds like you, let's talk about where you are.
Book online, or call or text me with a question first.
How I approach fertility care
I combine traditional acupuncture with modern neurophysiology. In practice, that means I look closely at you, your history, and your medical plan, and I choose treatment that fits all three.
Acupuncture works alongside reproductive medicine. Your doctors lead your medical treatment. My job is to support you and your body through it.
- Your history
- Your reproductive and menstrual-cycle history, how long you've been trying, and anything that has happened along the way.
- Testing and labs
- Previous fertility testing, a semen analysis where one is available, and any relevant lab results you'd like me to see.
- Medications
- What you're taking and what your clinic has planned. I follow their instructions, and I never change your medications.
- Daily life
- Sleep, stress, work, exercise, and food. These are the things you can actually shape, so we talk about them honestly.
- Herbs and lab review, when appropriate
- For some people I may suggest Chinese herbal medicine or a closer look at functional lab work. I only offer these when they're clinically appropriate and coordinated with your medical team.
Your first appointment
My private treatment room in Columbia has brick walls, plants, and big windows that look onto a garden. It's just you and me.
We talk first
Your first visit is 80 minutes. We start by sitting down and going through your history, where you are on your fertility journey, and anything your doctor or clinic has asked of you.
Then you rest
You lie down in a warm, quiet room while the needles do their work. Each one is as thin as a strand of hair. If anything feels sharp, tell me and I'll adjust it.
You leave with a plan
Before you leave, I'll suggest how often to come in, based on where you are and what's coming up.
A plan that follows your calendar
Whether you're trying on your own or working with a fertility clinic, I plan my visits around your cycle and your clinic's schedule.
- Before treatment
- In the weeks before a cycle, we work on stress, sleep, and a steady routine.
- During a clinic cycle
- Visits fit around your medications and monitoring. Your fertility team runs your treatment and makes every medication decision.
- Trying naturally
- We plan visits across your cycle, alongside any tracking or testing your doctor recommends.
- As things change
- Plans shift when results come in or dates move. I adjust the schedule with you rather than sticking to a fixed package.
What the research shows
Here is what published studies have found about acupuncture during fertility care, in plain language. The sources are listed below if you'd like to read them.
Calmer through treatment
- A 2022 review of clinical trials found that acupuncture lowered anxiety for women going through IVF.
- In a large IVF trial, women who had acupuncture reported less anxiety right after embryo transfer than women who had a sham treatment.
Timed to your cycle
- A 2024 review of 38 trials with 5,991 women linked acupuncture during stimulation with higher pregnancy rates in fresh IVF cycles.
- The same review linked acupuncture in the weeks before a frozen transfer with higher pregnancy and live-birth rates.
PCOS
- In a randomized trial, women with PCOS who had acupuncture with gentle electrical stimulation ovulated more often than women in the comparison group.
- A review of four trials in women with PCOS going through IVF found higher pregnancy rates and a lower risk of ovarian hyperstimulation with acupuncture.
Studies vary in size and quality, and everyone responds differently. I'll always tell you honestly what I think acupuncture can do for you.
Sources
- Wang X et al. The timing and dose effect of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes for infertile women undergoing IVF and embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Integr Complement Med, 2024.
- Hullender Rubin LE et al. Effect of acupuncture on IVF-related anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reprod Biomed Online, 2022.
- Smith CA et al. Effects of acupuncture on anxiety and quality of life for women undergoing IVF. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 2018.
- Johansson J et al. Acupuncture for ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2013.
- Jo J, Lee YJ. Effectiveness of acupuncture in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing IVF or ICSI: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupuncture in Medicine, 2017.
Care from Jason Rinker
I'm Jason Rinker. I'm a licensed acupuncturist and a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and I've practiced since 1999. Over those years, I've cared for many people going through IVF, FET, IUI, and other fertility treatments.
Every visit is with me from start to finish. I listen, I pay attention to how you're holding up, and I adjust as things change.
Every day, your body is repairing, healing, and renewing itself. It can even grow a whole new person. That's life's way, and it still amazes me. You don't have to do this alone.
- L.Ac., Licensed Acupuncturist
- Dipl. O.M., Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
- Practicing since 1999
- Private practice in Columbia, PA
Questions people ask me
Let's talk about where you are
Book your first visit online, or call or text me if you'd like to ask a question first.