Did you know acupuncture and Chinese medicine can improve male fertility?

Male infertility is very common, it accounts for up to 50% of infertile couples and affects 7% of men (Lotti & Maggi, 2015).  Known causes of male infertility include low sperm counts, sperm abnormalities and poor sperm motility. However, 70% of all cases of male infertility are from unknown causes (Kumar, 2015).  Unfortunately, male infertility is on the rise.  During the last 30 years, the sperm count of healthy men has been declining between 1 and 1.5% per year (Calsen et al., 1992).  The reason for this is unclear; it may be due to environmental, nutritional or endocrine factors (Sharpe, 1993).

When couples have difficulty falling pregnant, infertility treatment tends to focus on the female partner.  This might be because male infertility can be difficult to talk about, many men feel a sense of failure, see one man’s story at  https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/12/the-male-infertility-crisis-my-failure-at-fatherhood-ate-away-at-my-very-being.

However, there are ways men can improve their sperm quality and sperm count, from dietary changes to Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

 

 

 

How does sperm quality affect conception? 

Sperm quality is important for a healthy pregnancy and baby (McQueen et al., 2019).  Western IVF support uses ICSI to select and implant the “best” sperm and increase the chances of pregnancy.   However, miscarriage is common, partly because sperm quality contributes to embryo quality.

Chinese Medicine recognises that the health of both the father and mother influence the health of the child.  Chapter 54 of the Ling Shu, which was compiled 2,000 years ago, states that;

“The Qi of one’s mother constitutes the basis.  Those of the father serves as a shield”

At conception, the father’s and mother’s essence qi merges, the mother’s qi is yin and controls the interior, the father’s qi is yang and controls the exterior and is the shield.  This means that the father’s health is essential to the strength of an embryo and to a child having strong immunity.

 

How can acupuncture and Chinese medicine improve male fertility?

At AcuNatural Health, Jane Ma has used Chinese medicine to treat many healthy men who had very low sperm counts of 1%.  After detoxing, taking Chinese herbal medicines and having acupuncture treatments, their sperm counts have improved to 15%.

One couple Jane recently treated were able to conceive naturally but had two miscarriages. The male partner detoxed and was treated with Chinese medicine.  This couple is now in week 19 of a healthy pregnancy.

Another couple who initially saw Jane for infertility due to low sperm counts are now the parents of two healthy children.  The children have very strong immunity and rarely catch colds or flu.  This couple is now expecting their third child.

 

Studies on acupuncture and Chinese medicine for male infertility

Scientific studies have confirmed that both acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas can increase male fertility.

Wang et al. (2020) explored 14 scientific studies into the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine combined with vitamins as a treatment for male infertility.  The results show that Chinese medicine significantly increased sperm motility, viability, concentration and increased the chances of conception.

Acupuncture has also been shown to improve total motile sperm count and increase chances of conception (Dieterie et al, 2009).

 

At AcuNatural Health, Jane Ma combines Traditional Chinese Medicine and western supplements to ensure optimal sperm health.    Western vitamin supplements which improve sperm concentrations include Coenzyme Q10, zinc and folate.  Eating a healthy diet and foods which improve male fertility are also suggested-  https://www.acunaturalhealth.com.au/foods-to-improve-male-fertility/.

Jane has had very good results using acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to increase sperm quality and assist conception.

Contact Jane today if you have any questions about how Chinese Medicine can help you.