Support while you try to conceive naturally
Months of tracking and waiting wear on you. I plan visits across your cycle to help with stress, sleep, and how you feel, alongside any testing your doctor recommends.
Jason Rinker, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M. · Practicing since 1999 · Columbia, PA
For you if you're trying on your own timeline
Some people come to me at the start, wanting to feel as well as they can. Others come after many months, tired of waiting for something to change.
- Starting to try and wanting a plan
- Trying for a while without success
- Irregular or painful cycles
- PCOS or endometriosis
- Stress and poor sleep while trying
- Partners who want care too
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 natural conception
I start with your cycle: how long it is, how it feels, and what your tracking shows. Then I look at the rest of your health and your daily life.
I'll also tell you honestly when it's time to bring in a doctor. If you're under 35 and have been trying for a year, or 35 or older and have been trying for six months, it's worth seeing a fertility specialist, if you haven't already.
- 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
Bring whatever you've been tracking, whether that's an app, a chart, or just what you've noticed.
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.
Visits planned across your cycle
We plan visits across your cycle, alongside any tracking or testing your doctor recommends.
- Early in your cycle
- We focus on settling stress and sleep, and on how you're feeling after your period.
- Around ovulation
- Visits are timed to what your tracking shows.
- The second half
- Gentle, quiet visits while you wait.
- Month to month
- I adjust the plan as your cycles and your tracking change.
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.
Ovulation and PCOS
- In a randomized trial, women with PCOS who had acupuncture with gentle electrical stimulation ovulated more often than women in the comparison group.
Less anxiety
- A 2022 review of clinical trials found that acupuncture lowered anxiety for women going through fertility treatment.
Your partner's health
- A 2021 review found that adding acupuncture to medication was linked with better sperm motility and concentration than medication alone.
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
- Johansson J et al. Acupuncture for ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2013.
- Hullender Rubin LE et al. Effect of acupuncture on IVF-related anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reprod Biomed Online, 2022.
- Jia W et al. Acupuncture for oligospermia and asthenozoospermia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 2021.
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 plan your next cycle
Book your first visit online, or call or text me with a question first.