Male factor infertility accounts for almost half of all infertility cases, with about 50% of men evaluated for infertility showing abnormal semen parameters. Interestingly, the treatment of acupuncture for male infertility can be traced back to the classic A–B Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing) in the Western Jin Dynasty, which dates back around 2,000 years ago in China.
The earliest study of acupuncture for male infertility in
Western countries dates back to 1984. The study investigated the effect of
acupuncture on male fertility and psychological well-being, and the results
showed a significant increase in sperm concentration and motility after
acupuncture treatment. Similar findings were also reported by other
researchers, where all semen parameters of 16 subfertile patients treated with
acupuncture showed significant improvement in total functional sperm fraction,
percentage of viability, total motile spermatozoa per ejaculate, and integrity
of the axonema when compared to the control group.
In another study involving 57 patients, participants were
randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or a placebo control
acupuncture twice weekly for a total of six weeks. The results showed that the
percentage of motile sperm in the acupuncture group was significantly higher
than that in the control group. A more recent review of 12 randomized
controlled trials with 1,088 participants concluded that acupuncture was
effective in improving semen quality.
Further research has also shown that acupuncture can
increase testicular blood flow and significantly reduce the level of
follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in patients
with oligoasthenospermia.
In summary, male infertility is a significant issue
affecting many couples worldwide. Acupuncture has been used for centuries to
treat a variety of ailments in traditional Chinese medicine, and recent studies
have shown promising results in improving semen quality and reducing hormonal
imbalances associated with infertility. Acupuncture could be a useful and safe
complementary therapy for men with infertility issues.
References
Jiaxing Feng et al Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022; 13: 1009537.
Riegler R et al Urologe A (1984) 23:329–33
S Siterman et al Arch Androl. 1997 Sep-Oct;39(2):155-61
Dieterle S, et al
Fertil Steril (2009) 92:1340–3
