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Male infertility accounts for about 35% of couples experiencing difficulty in conceiving. It would appear that infertility is actually increasing. This is most likely due to lifestyle and environmental causes such as pollutants that will for example, mimic the actions of female hormones such as oestrogen.
When it comes to males, there are several factors that contribute to infertility. The main ones include semen volume, concentration, motility, abnormal sperm shape and size. These are most commonly affected by numerous factors such as diet, infection, genetic abnormalities, external pollutants and extreme heat.
Once a full case history has been taken, the acupuncturist will identify any direct causes and provide relevant advice as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Acupuncture is preferably administered twice a week for 10 weeks, where significant results can be achieved. Typical acupuncture points would be on the lower back and abdomen to invigorate qi and blood to the area, and to clear any stagnation often due to local coldness or excessive heat.
It is true to say that the majority of acupuncture research has been focused on female infertility. However, one of the most recent studies published in Health Journal “fertility and sterility” illustrated that acupuncture significantly improved male sperm motility, volume and concentration including sperm structure and quality in idiopathic infertile men. Acupuncture is most effective in cases where there are no signs of infection or structural abnormalities.
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Case history 1
RESERCH
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Asian J Androl. 2003 Dec;5(4):345-8. |
The Chinese Traditional Medicine acupuncture and moxa techniques significantly increase the percentage of normal-form sperm in infertile patients with oligoastenoteratozoospermia without apparent cause. |
| Fertil Steril. 2009 Oct;92(4):1340-3. Epub 2009 Apr 25. A prospective randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia. Dieterle S, Li C, Greb R, Bartzsch F, Hatzmann W, Huang D. |
A significantly higher percentage of motile sperm but no effect on sperm concentration, was found after acupuncture compared with placebo acupuncture. |
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Fertil Steril. 2005 Jul;84(1):141-7. Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.
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A statistically significant improvement was detected in acrosome position and shape, nuclear shape, axonemal pattern and shape, and accessory fibers of sperm organelles. |