Couples fertility acupuncture: two tables, one visit
Trying to conceive is something you do together, so your care can be too. My treatment room has two tables, so I can treat both of you in the same appointment, each with your own assessment and plan.
Jason Rinker, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M. · Practicing since 1999 · Columbia, PA
For couples at any stage
Fertility care often focuses on one partner. But both of you are living through it, and both of you contribute to it.
Coming in together means one trip, one hour set aside for both of you, and a plan that treats you as a team.
- Couples preparing for IVF, FET, or IUI
- Couples trying to conceive naturally
- Partners looking after sperm health
- Couples carrying the stress of trying together
- Starting again after a hard result
- Anyone who'd rather not come in alone
Treated side by side, cared for individually
You'll each rest on your own table in the same quiet room. I move between you through the visit.
Sharing an appointment doesn't mean sharing a treatment. Each of you has a separate assessment and a separate plan. I coordinate the two so they support the same goal.
- Separate assessments
- Your own histories, tests, medications, and concerns, taken one at a time.
- Coordinated plans
- Two plans, timed to each other and to any clinic calendar you're working with.
- One appointment
- You come in together, which makes regular visits easier to keep up.
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 couples care
I combine traditional acupuncture with modern neurophysiology, and I look at each of you on your own terms before I look at you as a couple.
Your doctors lead your medical treatment. My care works alongside theirs.
- 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 together
The first visit is when we get to know each of you. It's where the individual plans start.
We talk first
I go through each partner's history, testing, and medications in turn, and we talk about where you are as a couple.
Then you both rest
You each lie down on your own table. The needles are as thin as a strand of hair. If anything feels sharp, tell me and I'll adjust it.
You leave with two plans
Before you leave, I'll suggest how often to come in, for each of you, based on where you are and what's coming up.
Planning around both of you
Two plans need one workable calendar. We build it together.
- Shared visits
- When your schedules line up, you come in together and I treat you both.
- Separate visits
- Some visits only make sense for one of you, such as around a transfer. Those can be booked on their own.
- Clinic calendars
- If you're working with a fertility clinic, I plan around its schedule for both partners.
- As things change
- When results come in or dates move, I adjust both plans with you.
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.
Sperm health
- A review of 12 studies with more than 2,000 men reported improvements in sperm quality with acupuncture.
- A 2021 review found that adding acupuncture to medication was linked with better sperm motility and concentration than medication alone.
Timed to your cycle
- A 2024 review of 38 trials with 5,991 women linked acupuncture before a frozen transfer with higher pregnancy and live-birth rates.
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
- 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.
- He Y et al. Acupuncture treatment of male infertility: a systematic review. 2015.
- Jia W et al. Acupuncture for oligospermia and asthenozoospermia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 2021.
- 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.
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
Come in together
Book a couples visit online, or call or text me if you'd like to talk it through first.