Role of acupuncture in male in improving male fertility

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a 3000 year old form of Traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture works by restoring the energy flow in the affected part of the body. It involves the use of pressure points which are stimulated with the help of fine needles. Though the therapy is prolonged and takes upto weeks, it is a natural and holistic form of therapy which treats the complete body.

Acupuncture has been used as an alternative therapy for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. In 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA), released a consensus statement that there is enough scientific evidence to prove that acupuncture is a promising modality for the treatment of a wide range of medical problems.

Acupuncture in male infertility:

 Acupuncture has for a long time been used for treating infertility in females. In the last five decades researchers have observed a decline in male fertility due to various environmental trends. Though the causative factors of male infertility are many, a significant proportion of infertility in males occurs due to unknown reasons (idiopathic). The treatment of such cases poses the maximum difficulty. Researchers have explored into alternative methods for such idiopathic cases of male fertility and acupuncture is one such modality.

Studies conducted on the effect of acupuncture on male fertility indicate that there is an improvement in the sperm quality without hindering with sexual desire. Accupuncture helps in increasing the sperm count and also reduces the number of sperms with structural abnormality. A case control study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility in 2005 has shown significant improvement in the quantity and quality of sperms in men who had structural and quantitative defects in their sperms. The authors of this study concluded that acupuncture could be used along with invitro fertilization techniques to improve pregnancy rates among couples facing problems of infertility. In addition, acupuncture has also been used to treat infertility due to conditions like Varicocoeles and erectile dysfunction in males.

How does acupuncture improve male fertility?

A study conducted by Dong C et al in 2006 has shown that acupuncture significantly increases the secretion of the male reproductive hormones. In addition, they reported an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and an increase in the levels of zinc with a decrease in the cadmium content of the semen after treatment with acupuncture. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a potent antioxidant enzyme that scavenges the free oxygen and hydrogen radicals which are toxic to the sperms. Zinc is a well known element known to improve male fertility while cadmium serves as a toxic heavy metal which reduces male fertility. Thus acupuncture acts by significantly improving the endocrine function in males thereby improving the quality of the semen and also increasing the pregnancy rates among infertile couples.

The therapy is taken once or twice weekly for 4 to 6 months. Its benefits are often observed after the first 10 or 12 rounds. Each session may last for about an hour. The most crucial aspect is to find a qualified and experienced acupuncturist.

References:
1) http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2005/oct/10infertility.html
2) http://www.healthylivingnyc.com/article/178
3) Pei J et al.  Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultra structure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility July 2005; 84(1):141-7.
4) Dong C et al. Clinical observation and study of mechanisms of needle-picking therapy for primary infertility of abnormal sperm. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2006; 26(6):389-91