ARE YOU SEEING A TRAINED FERTILITY ACUPUNCTURIST OR AN ACUPUNCTURIST WHO TREATS FERTILITY?
The short answer is to look at their training and experience and at what they offer beyond the treatment itself. While there is no hard and fast rule, a specialist fertility acupuncturist will usually have postgraduate training in fertility, gynaecology and obstetrics, will understand Western testing and treatment as well as Chinese medicine, and will use both to guide you through the whole process.
Most acupuncturists treat fertility
Almost every acupuncturist will treat fertility at some point in their career, and many do it regularly and do it very well. One of the most remarkable things about Chinese medicine is that it can treat conditions effectively through symptom and pattern differentiation, without detailed knowledge of the Western diagnosis or treatment options. The "basic" training for an acupuncturist isn't actually very basic: I completed an undergraduate degree, over 3,500 hours of training, to get my licence to practise. That training covers fertility and women's health, and I definitely worked in these areas straight out of college with success. Qualified acupuncturists can and do support lots of people on their way to pregnancy, and none of this is a criticism of them or a recommendation to avoid them. It's all about knowing what level of support you want and need, and what part you want your acupuncturist to play.
I've been the acupuncturist who treated fertility and I've been the client having acupuncture for fertility, and both of these experiences made me want to be able to offer more support and more insight to those clients who wanted it. I decided I needed a higher level of training to support my clients the way I wanted to, and having made that step, I know there's a real difference between an acupuncturist who treats fertility and a specialist fertility acupuncturist.
What specialist training adds
Acupuncturists who specialise in fertility have usually completed postgraduate training in fertility, gynaecology and obstetrics, and understand these areas from both a Chinese medicine and a Western medicine perspective. Through that training and their clinical experience, they have in-depth knowledge of complex conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS (now also called PMOS), of assisted reproductive techniques, and of diagnostic testing and how to interpret the results.
The two advanced diplomas I've completed covered PCOS/PMOS, endometriosis, and ovulatory and hormonal disorders; reproductive immunology; complex pregnancy conditions; male fertility; and assisted reproductive techniques, including IVF. I still carry out a full TCM consultation, devise a treatment plan and treat using the principles of Chinese medicine as I was trained to do on my degree. The difference is that the guidance I can offer is now much broader, and I can give real advice on navigating the Western medical side of fertility and can suggest additional testing or refer to other professionals where appropriate.
Take the example of someone with unexplained infertility who has been told all their test results are normal but is still not getting pregnant. An acupuncturist who treats fertility might diagnose and treat this person according to the TCM patterns they identify, which may well help and may result in a pregnancy. A fertility acupuncturist will do that too, but will also review all the tests that have been done to check whether any of the results were "normal" but not actually optimal for fertility. They will look into whether male factor has been fully investigated, suggest more advanced tests or more specialist scans where indicated, and help with the interpretation of the results.
Not everyone needs a specialist
Not everyone wants this level of support, and not everyone needs it. I'm always guided by my clients. Some don't want more tests or a detailed understanding of what might be getting in the way; they want acupuncture to help optimise their fertility and manage their stress. Sometimes they want an hour away from all the talk of testing, statistics and next steps, and that's absolutely fine.
But many people who've been struggling to conceive, and who have been told that everything is normal and there's no reason they aren't getting pregnant, want answers. They want options for further testing and help advocating for themselves. Those people need someone who can guide them through every step.
Choosing the right person for you
If you've been told acupuncture could help you get pregnant and you want to try it, don't just search "acupuncture for fertility" and book the nearest or cheapest person who lists fertility on their website. Read about what they do and how they've been trained, and decide who's the best fit for you. If you want help understanding your test results, guidance on further testing and someone in your corner at every stage, choose a trained fertility acupuncturist rather than an acupuncturist who treats fertility.