Acupuncture has a long history of success in treating both male and female fertility. It can help regulate menstrual cycles; treat conditions such as polycystic ovaries and endometriosis, both of which can contribute to infertility in women; raise sperm count, improve sperm motility, and increase the percentage of functional sperm.
A growing number of couples are using acupuncture to help conceive, sometimes after trying painful and expensive Western reproductive medicine techniques. Research shows that even young women using IVF techniques have between a 20 and 30 percent chance of conceiving, at a cost of at least $10,000 per attempt. The chances fall to less than 10 percent for women at age 39, and only 3 percent at age 44. On average, women go through seven cycles of assisted reproductive technology (ART) before they either conceive or quit, spending tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in their attempt to have children.
Fortunately, traditional Chinese medicine can be used alone or in conjunction with advanced Western reproductive medicine to increase the chances for conception. It can help a woman develop a state of health and well-being that will allow her body to conceive and carry a healthy child to term. Chinese medicine restores the body’s natural balance, stimulates the body’s own production of hormones, and restores health and harmony to the entire system so that conception can occur.
FEMALE INFERTILITY
How can acupuncture help?
In 1997, a study was published on the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat infertility due to obstruction of the fallopian tubes. One hundred and sixteen cases were observed, all having infertility for at least two years with normal external and internal genitalia, partial or total obstruction of the fallopian tubes, normal basal temperature, and normal sperm count of the husband. The duration of the disease was 1 to 10 years and the age span was 23 to 39 years old. The results of the study were: 71.6% cured, 10.3% markedly effective, 8.6% improvement, and 9.5% non-effective, with an overall success rate of 90.5%.
In 2000, a research study followed 151 women with infertility due to premature ovarian failure (POF). The age range of the women was 26 to 40 and the duration of POF was 1 to 9 years. 76 women received acupuncture and 75 received Western medical treatments of Clomiphene and Stilbestrol. The patients receiving acupuncture had an overall effective rate of 89.47% and the Western medicine group had an overall effective rate of 64.00%.
In 2001 study results were published on women who were receiving acupuncture and intracytoplasmis sperm injections (ICSI). Each woman received bi-weekly treatments for three or four weeks prior to their egg retrievals. Of these, 66.4% achieved chemical pregnancy following the treatment and most patients had significantly more follicles retrieved than prior to their acupuncture treatments.
A study presented in 2004 to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine confirmed the value of acupuncture for success with IVF treatment. The research, done at Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Center in Colorado Springs, studied 114 women undergoing IVF. Half of the women received acupuncture and the control group did not. The acupuncture group showed improved outcome in the following ways:
1. Acupuncture group: 51% pregnancy rate compared to 36% in control group.
2. Acupuncture group: 08% miscarriage rate compared to 20% in control group.
Acupuncture also was found to reduce the risk of tubal pregnancy and increase the live birth rate. The live birth rate for each IVF cycle was 23% higher than the cycles for the control group.
Results from a recent study in Germany indicate that adding acupuncture to the treatment protocol of IVF patients greatly enhances their chances of becoming pregnant. While the physiologic mechanisms by which acupuncture may affect the uterus and reproductive system have not been identified, the researchers found that as a practical matter, at least among their small study population, the technique worked.
In a study of 160 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization, researchers utilized acupuncture before and after the embryo transfers of half their patients. The patients, who were all required to have embryos of good quality, were evenly and randomly divided into two groups similar in age and diagnosis.
The group receiving acupuncture treatments had one treatment before transfer and another after embryos had been transferred to their uteruses. Sterile needles were inserted into the patients' bodies at very specific points. According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, energy flows through the body along defined pathways, or meridians. Acupuncture is a means of influencing this energy to induce a desired physiological effect. Points were chosen for these patients along the spleen and stomach meridians in an effort to positively influence blood flow and energy to the uterus and to provide a sedative effect. Additional needles were inserted in the patients' ears to influence the uterus and stabilize the endocrine system. Needles were left in place for 25 minutes while the patients rested. The control group also rested, lying still for 25 minutes after embryo transfer, as part of the IVF protocol.
The difference between pregnancy rates for the two groups was notable. Patients were examined using ultrasound six weeks after their IVF procedures. In the control group, 21 out of 80 patients became pregnant. Of the patients who had received acupuncture treatments, 34 of 80 became pregnant. The researchers plan to conduct further studies to try to rule out possible psychological or psychosomatic effects.
MALE INFERTILITY
How can acupuncture help?
A 2005 study in China found that acupuncture had a positive effect on sperm concentration and motility, an increase in testosterone, and some improvement in luteinizing hormone (LH) level, as well as an increase of normally shaped sperm and a significant decrease in the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm. The study consisted of 40 men with unexplained sperm abnormalities (oligospermia, asthenospermia, or teratozoospermia). 28 of the men received acupuncture twice weekly for five weeks. The semen samples from both groups were quantitatively analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. After acupuncture, there was a statistically significant increase in the percentage and number of sperm, and improvement in overall morphology of the sperm without defects seen in the total ejaculates.
While a woman is born with all the eggs she’ll ever have, men produce sperm on a continual basis, so lifestyle habits can affect the sperm maturation process. Smoking, drinking, drugs, stress, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise can all contribute to poor sperm quality. In addition, recent studies have shown that a man’s sperm quality begins to decline around the age of 25. Sperm quality is a contributing factor for 40 percent of couples experiencing infertility.
There are five main factors that contribute to overall sperm quality: motility, speed, count, concentration, and morphology (size and shape). A weakness in any of these areas can affect the chances of conception.
Motility: The ability to move in an active fashion. In healthy sperm, typically more than 50% are active with more than 25% moving forcefully in one direction: through the cervical canal, into the uterus and the fallopian tubes, and, finally, penetrate the egg.
Speed: Progressive motility. In a healthy male, more than 25% of sperm will exhibit progressive motility, and these are the sperm with the best chance of successfully fertilizing an egg. Research has shown that rapid linear progression improved more than 60% after four months of treatment with acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Count: The number of sperm in the fluid that is ejaculated (semen). There are more than 40 million sperm in a normal ejaculate; a total count below 40 million may indicate decreased fertility. Research indicates that a protocol of acupuncture and herbal medicine can increase sperm count more than 14% after four months of treatment.
Concentration: A measure of the number of sperm cells in a milliliter of semen. Normal concentration is at least 20 million sperm cells per milliliter of semen. The concentration can also be improved through a protocol of acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Morphology (shape and size): A healthy sperm cell will have a shape similar to a tadpole. The sperm’s oval head contains the genetic material, the center provides energy, and the tail propels the sperm forward. Studies show lower pregnancy rates with fewer than 15% normal forms.
Motility, speed, and morphology appear to be the most important factors to assess the fertilizing capability of sperm. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can often effectively enhance and improve the quality of sperm in these areas. Despite a low sperm count, many men with high-quality (viable and highly mobile) sperm may still be fertile.
For both male and female infertility, Western reproductive medicine shines in pinpointing any one of a thousand miniscule ailments and disease: obstructions in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or uterus; irregular periods; insufficient estrogen; a uterine lining that’s too thick or too thin; cellular adhesions; improper timing of the release of an egg; edometriosis; sperm irregularities; and so on. But tests for these conditions sometimes miss the whole picture, and Western medicine isn’t capable of correcting some of the subtle underlying imbalances that might make a couple infertile in the first place, especially if those imbalances have to do with overall well-being.
The focus of acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment for infertility is to remove the obstructions to conception. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that men and women’s bodies must be gently nourished and encouraged to bear fruit. It works to rebalance the delicate interplays of energies that occur each month, causing a woman to produce a healthy egg capable of fertilization and to prepare her uterine lining to receive that egg; for men it works to augment and support healthy, active sperm.
Many hormonal imbalances (which contribute to 40 percent of documented cases of infertility yet are considered untreatable by conventional Western medicine) often respond well to Chinese medicine treatments.
In many cases, herbal formulas are indicated that have been used for thousands of years in China to help increase fertility. Each person is assessed and treated individually, based on his or her diagnostic pattern. The formulas that I prescribe are classic, safe, effective, tried-and-true formulas in easy-to-take pill form.
Traditional Chinese medicine is not the answer for everyone or for every situation. People seeking help with infertility issues should be willing to keep an open mind, see how the body responds in treatment, and if there are good results, stay on that path—and if not, explore other options. The important thing is to take command of our medical care and not rely on the word of any one medical tradition or practitioner. Above all, we must learn to listen to our own body, mind, soul, and heart.