| > | | | | at all). |
| So, you have decided you want to try acupuncture | | | | Did you receive any extra training in infertility |
| for your fertility concerns. If you don't know | | | | treatment? |
| anybody who is seeing an acupuncturist or if your | | | | Where, how much and by whom? I think that this is |
| doctor does not have any referral sources, what do | | | | an important piece of information since extra training |
| you do? Do you start searching the Internet first or | | | | is definitely needed in this particular field. |
| do you get your phone book out and call the first | | | | Where you trained in herbal medicine? |
| person that you randomly selected by sticking a | | | | Some colleges offer programs in acupuncture only |
| pencil into the page with your eyes closed? How do | | | | which do not include herbal training. In China, herbal |
| you find an acupuncturist that you can trust who can | | | | medicine has been the main therapy for treating |
| address your needs? | | | | infertility throughout the centuries. Acupuncture is |
| Searching for the right practitioner is not an easy | | | | considered an adjunct therapy that is usually not |
| task. Some practitioners might have great | | | | used as a sole therapy for infertility. Most of the |
| personalities and charisma but have mediocre medical | | | | time, it is common for women to have to take |
| skills. On the other hand, some might have strong | | | | different herbal formulas at different parts of their |
| personalities and terrible bed side manners but excel | | | | menstrual cycle depending on their individual condition. |
| in their medical knowledge. Just like in any profession, | | | | Don't be surprised if you get 4 different herbal |
| there are practitioners who devote lots of time and | | | | prescriptions to take throughout the month. |
| energy to constantly better their skills while there are | | | | Just like with any medical treatment, you should be |
| others that are happy with what they already know | | | | encouraged to ask questions and understand your |
| and don't put much effort into increasing their | | | | treatment plan and options. Chinese medicine has a |
| knowledge. | | | | completely different way of looking at the human |
| Acupuncture for the treatment of infertility has | | | | body. Sometimes it can be challenging to understand |
| received a lot positive of press in the past couple of | | | | the theory behind it but your practitioner should |
| years . As a result of that, more and more | | | | explain to her/his best ability what it would take to |
| practitioners of Chinese medicine are deciding to | | | | treat your condition and what would be a reasonable |
| advertise infertility treatment as part of their practice. | | | | prognosis. |
| The truth is, most practitioners of Chinese medicine | | | | Your practitioner should encourage you to get |
| receive very minimal training in treating infertility. | | | | evaluated by a reproductive endocrinologist in order |
| Chinese medicine schools don't offer specialties, so if | | | | to get a clear picture of your condition. For example, |
| an acupuncturist calls him/herself "specialist" in any | | | | if you have severe fallopian tube obstruction your |
| area, that does not necessarily mean that they | | | | only option may be the use of Western medicine in |
| received years of extra training in that particular area. | | | | order to conceive. In that case, Chinese medicine can |
| It is not equal to a "specialist" title in Western | | | | be used as an adjunct therapy to prepare you for |
| medicine which usually required years of extra | | | | assisted reproductive treatments like IVF. However, |
| medical training. | | | | if your practitioner is unaware of that diagnosis you |
| Clinical doctorates in Chinese medicine are a recent | | | | could be wasting precious time pursuing natural |
| offering to practitioners who wish to receive more | | | | treatment. |
| training in a particular area of interest. Some colleges | | | | Things to stay away from |
| offer focused study on cancer therapies, women's | | | | -Practitioners who give you promises that sound too |
| health, geriatric medicine etc. Those programs | | | | good to be true e.g. "You can get pregnant in a |
| definitely offer a more in depth study in particular | | | | month". Nobody can really guarantee any results for |
| areas and there is a lot of interest in Chinese | | | | sure. However, it is common for natural treatments |
| medicine field in making a doctorate degree a | | | | to take longer in order to be successful. Three |
| standard education requirement for future incoming | | | | months of treatment are the minimum amount of |
| students. That process may take a long while to | | | | time that you should consider. Some patients may |
| become effective since most acupuncture schools | | | | require as much as one year of treatment. If you |
| are small and operate on non profit basis. | | | | have been treated for over a year without success |
| When trying to chose a practitioner who can help | | | | it is definitely time to consider other options. |
| you with your fertility concerns you should be | | | | -Practitioners who list unreasonably high success rates |
| proactive and not be afraid to ask them questions. | | | | e.g. "75-80% of all my patients get pregnant". It is |
| Here are some of the examples that may help: | | | | important to know how big is their sample size. If |
| How much of your practice focuses on infertility | | | | somebody treated 3 infertility patients and all 3 |
| treatment? | | | | happened to get pregnant that their success rate is |
| A practitioner who devotes most of his/her time to | | | | 100%! Are the practitioners who list success rates |
| treating infertility is most likely more knowledgeable in | | | | counting live births or just pregnancies? Are |
| that area. A practitioner who sees an occasional | | | | practitioners counting patients who went through IVF |
| infertility patient may not have enough experience or | | | | and had acupuncture as their success stories? All of |
| expertise to offer the best treatment available | | | | this questions are important when determining |
| (which does not mean that they can not be helpful | | | | whether listed success rates are useful or not. |