Infertility Acupuncture - Can Acupuncture Help With Male Infertility?

Until recently it was only female fertility that had been researched regarding acupuncture. A recent study published in fertility and sterility suggests that acupuncture can be used to increase sperm production and quality.

Twenty eight infertile men were given acupuncture treatment twice a week for a period of five weeks. Semen samples were taken from each of the patients on the day before treatment started and after the acupuncture treatment had completed.

Sperm motility improved from 44.5% to 50% the percentage of healthy sperm increased from 0.06% to 0.26% and the actual number of healthy sperm increased from 40,000 to 200,000.

It is believed that the acupuncture restores hormonal balance and reduces stress. It helps the body purge itself of toxins and harnesses the body's energy to kick start the reproductive system.

The specific main acupuncture points used in the treatment were : Guan yuan (Ren 4), shen shu (UB 23, bilateral), ci liao (UB 32, bilateral), tai cong (Liv 3, bilateral), and tai xi (KI 3, bilateral).

The secondary points that were used in the treatment were: zhu san li (ST 36, bilateral), xue hai (SP 10, bilateral), san yin jiao (SP 6, bilateral), gui lai (ST 29, bilateral), and bai hui (Du 20). During the acupuncture treatment the needles were inserted to a depth of between 15 and 25 millimetres, the specific depth being dependent on the area of the body that was being treated. The needles were manipulated for a period of ten minutes to achieve de qi, then left stationery for another twenty five minutes before they were removed.

So, acupuncture may be a viable option in the treatment of male infertility and is a fairly easy treatment to try.

Can Acupuncture Treat Infertility?

Acupuncture plays an important role in traditional Chinese medicine, and it is a widely recognized part of Western medicine as well. It has been shown to help reduce the symptoms of depression, ease the pain of arthritis, reduce the incidence of migraine, and now it is becoming more common in the treatment of infertility.

For decades, couples have turned to high tech medical treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and drugs like Clomid, but acupuncture is surging in popularity due to not only its more holistic treatment of infertility, but also its high success rate.

Acupuncture can help women with a wide variety of fertility troubles. It works primarily by stimulating pelvic blood flow, restoring the proper flow of Qi, and balancing the body. Women with irregular menstrual cycles or amenorrhea (no menstrual cycles), endometriosis, luteal phase defect, irregular ovulation, thin endometrium, or even recurrent miscarriage can benefit from acupuncture.

Acupuncture can stimulate ovulation as much as some fertility drugs, making it an excellent option for women who are suffering from irregular ovulation or anovulatory cycles.

Women with poor egg quality may also benefit from acupuncture, as pelvic blood flow is restored and egg quality can be improved by better nourishment. Women with unexplained infertility may especially benefit from acupuncture.

Women are not the only ones who can benefit from acupuncture. Studies show that men with low sperm counts or low sperm motility can have both improved with acupuncture. A higher sperm count and more active sperm can make it easier for couples to get pregnant naturally or via IVF.

Acupuncture can be used alone in the treatment of infertility or in conjunction with more high-tech infertility treatments. In fact, beginning acupuncture prior to IVF treatments can lead to a higher success rate, according to a study published in Fertility and Sterility.

Some people may not be good candidates for this treatment alone: women with structural abnormalities, scarring of the fallopian tubes, or who have aging eggs may need to use acupuncture in conjunction with other infertility treatments (such as surgery or IVF) for the best possible results.

Acupuncture is not simply an alternative medical treatment for infertility; it is a holistic natural treatment that can be used on its own to assist couples in attaining pregnancy, to address infertility issues, or to be used in conjunction with high tech infertility treatments. Acupuncture treatment for infertility seeks to treat the root cause of the problem, not merely the symptom.

Female infertility treatment acupuncture

Infertility has barren millions worldwide. Both men and women are living depressing life as no chance appears them to turn turtle. Medical science says that one is less fertile as on grows older. The technology has given us opportunity. Infertility treatment is now widely available. There are clinics across the country working superbly.

There are millions of couples in the UK who are living life childless. Researchers say the fertility in women peaks when she is aged between 22-26 years. It begins to decline and accelerates after 35 years. It is precisely unclear the exact chances of a woman to conceive after a certain age. It’s seen in some women to have surprising chances of being conceived successfully at higher age. It depends on many factors.

Many factors are causing infertility in women.

Basically these factors are acquired and genetic.Researchers say sexually transmitted infections, Age, Smoking, Overweight or Underweight largely affect fertility in women. These complications are Tubal Damage, Endometriosis, Male problems and other unexplained medical mixes.

First of all, hormonal testing and ultrasounds are carried out to assessovarian age and ovulation. An X-ray of the uterus and tubes are done. It is called HSG, Hysterosalpingogram. This method assesses uterine or tubal status.

Another medical method is surgical procedure , which is called laparoscopy. It is preformed to inspect the interior organs. An endoscopic check of the uterus indicates the structure of the uterus or fallopian tubes. Today,the female infertility treatment has done huge progress in medical technology.

The medical technologies being used by medical practitioners are fertility drugs - hormonal therapy - with artificial insemination: intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization(IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) and oocyte (egg) donation.

However success rate of the IVF is high-flying. It is one of the successful infertility treatments in women. IVF is In Vitro Fertilisation. Its procedure is simple, safe and successful. The medical process starts with stimulation of the ovary in order to produce fertilizable oocytes (eggs). Retrieval of the oocytes from the ovary is done, followed by fertilization of the oocytes and culture of the embryos in the IVF. The embryo into the uterus is planted. This procedure is called embryo transfer. Millions of couples are using IVF and delivering babies worldwide.