Every so often someone asks about acupuncture so I thought I'd share my experience with you. Basically, I tried it, but didn't like it, and it turns out that it wasn't going to help us anyways.
I want to clarify that this was my experience. Others love and swear by acupuncture, so please don't take my word as gospel.
ML and I had been ttc for about 16 months when my massage therapist suggested that I try accupuncture. I made an appt right away.
At my first appt, the accupuncturist explained that in order for accupuncture to work I would need to come 3 times per week for at least 3 months. At $135 per visit (she was willing to give us a discounted rate of $85) I was caught off-guard. I hadn't realized that it was going to require that kind of commitment. But I was really starting to worry that there was something wrong and that we needed to do something to help us conceive. I thought that I could try it 2x per week for a month.
The session lasted about 45 minutes. She put some needles in my hands, arms, feet, legs, stomach, ear and head. Then she left the room and left me alone for the next 40 minutes. I don't like being places alone and layed in the treatment room caught up in my worry and waiting for the time to pass. She came back in the room and seemed surprised when I said that I was bored. She said that people usually go to sleep and get very relaxed. The truth was that I was very anxious and definitely not relaxed.
I went for my second session a few days later, again hating being left alone in the room for an hour and caught up in my head with negative thoughts about our ttc efforts. Again she was surprised that I was not relaxed afterwards, and almost lectured me about needing to relax. If the purpose of acup. is to relax, there are so many other things I would prefer to do in order to relax. She almost implied that if I wasn't open to letting the acup work, then it would not.
I told my husband that I was doing acupuncture, and he balked saying that there were no legitimate studies showing that it was effective. We talked about the power of the placebo effect, and agreed that if I felt that ap was helpful, then we would treat it like a massage and consider it something pleasurable and worth spending $ on.
I went for my third session, and after a similar experience that led me to tears in the car when I left, I decided that acup was not the right thing for me. I hated being left alone in the treatment room, and hated the implication that I had too much energy and wasn't letting the ap relax me.
ML and I had been ttc for about 16 months when my massage therapist suggested that I try accupuncture. I made an appt right away.
At my first appt, the accupuncturist explained that in order for accupuncture to work I would need to come 3 times per week for at least 3 months. At $135 per visit (she was willing to give us a discounted rate of $85) I was caught off-guard. I hadn't realized that it was going to require that kind of commitment. But I was really starting to worry that there was something wrong and that we needed to do something to help us conceive. I thought that I could try it 2x per week for a month.
The session lasted about 45 minutes. She put some needles in my hands, arms, feet, legs, stomach, ear and head. Then she left the room and left me alone for the next 40 minutes. I don't like being places alone and layed in the treatment room caught up in my worry and waiting for the time to pass. She came back in the room and seemed surprised when I said that I was bored. She said that people usually go to sleep and get very relaxed. The truth was that I was very anxious and definitely not relaxed.
I went for my second session a few days later, again hating being left alone in the room for an hour and caught up in my head with negative thoughts about our ttc efforts. Again she was surprised that I was not relaxed afterwards, and almost lectured me about needing to relax. If the purpose of acup. is to relax, there are so many other things I would prefer to do in order to relax. She almost implied that if I wasn't open to letting the acup work, then it would not.
I told my husband that I was doing acupuncture, and he balked saying that there were no legitimate studies showing that it was effective. We talked about the power of the placebo effect, and agreed that if I felt that ap was helpful, then we would treat it like a massage and consider it something pleasurable and worth spending $ on.
I went for my third session, and after a similar experience that led me to tears in the car when I left, I decided that acup was not the right thing for me. I hated being left alone in the treatment room, and hated the implication that I had too much energy and wasn't letting the ap relax me.
Shortly after my acupuncture attempts, we got our azoos diagnosis. As it turns out all the acupuncture in the world wouldn't have helped me get pregnant. I actually hold some resentment of the practitioner. As a medical professional, I feel like she let me down by implying that our struggles were something that she could fix if I would just commit to working with her.
I want to write her a letter, just to let her know how I feel about the whole thing, but it hasn't been a priority for me.
I am so grateful to be able to read about the experience of others, and just wanted to share my experience with acupuncture in case anyone else finds it helpful.
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9 comments :
Thanks for sharing this; I do find it very helpful. I have only heard things on the positive end about acupuncture. Basically for its relaxation benefits. Perhaps it works best for relaxation for introverts- people who feed off of alone time. But, it it makes you uncomfortable, no, it's not going to work. I don't believe acupuncture in itself can magically make a woman pregnant. I think it can only be a part of a wide array of things that help to balance you in your efforts to become pregnant. Get a massage instead!! Or spend money on pedicures or whatever else that YOU find relaxing. :)
What works for some won't always work for another. Cliche, but true. Thank you for sharing your experience though, because people who are considering any kind of treatment need to be informed. I'm sorry your experience was not only pointless, but also seemingly painful as well. Your acupuncturist sounded like she's more in it for the money, but then again she may just not be familiar with infertility. Either way, I'm glad you got out before it got even worse.
I think you should write her a letter, if anything it will teach her how to treat the next woman who comes through the door with IF (I hope) I find there are a lot of people looking to "cash in" on infertility and that really worries me, I hope she is in it for the right reasons. I do however, love my acupuncture apointments, It helps me relax use them now as a way to get away and unwind, not as a way to "cure" my infertility. I think that if you were feeling anxiety through them it is probably not the right way for you to relieve tension.
I really really wanted to try it, but it is so not in the budget. We did laser acupucture before and after transfer, which is quite quick, and who knows what it did, but we were willing if they thought it could help.
Stopping by from ICLW and I find it refreshing to read about a different experience with acu, thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for your honesty! I think you should try someone else...acupuncture really is supposed to be relaxing WITHOUT trying!
Thanks for your honesty! I think you should try someone else...acupuncture really is supposed to be relaxing WITHOUT trying!
Hi, I'm an acupuncturist specializing in Fertility and Women's Health in Los Angeles. I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience. You are not alone. During acupuncture endorphins are released which are generally very relaxing. Most people do fall asleep during treatments, but not always. It's unusual, but some of us don't feel these effects.
Several clinical studies have been done and are published in the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's journal "Fertility and Sterility", especially on acupuncture and IVF. You can search for them in Google Scholar if you want more info. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the reproductive organs - this helps with egg and sperm quality and also preparing the uterine lining.
If anyone's looking for an acupuncturist who focuses on fertility they can go to ABORM.org. ABORM members are Board Certified in Oriental Reproductive Medicine. We work closely with western doctors and make sure all necessary testing has been done to rule out causes like azoospermia.
Best of luck to you and your husband.
I have tried acupuncture and found it relaxing and helpful. The one last year actually made my stomach flatter (but not preg). I agree it is a huge expense. I will try again this year, since I have found a good person. I think the tough part is the expense, you have to weigh things up. I heard reflexology is also good and will try that.
One thing I will say is that any therapist should be sensitive to your reaction: and should have done something to make you feel more comfortable.
I HATE being told to relax. It actually makes me more stressed.
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