Making Babies – Karen Costin’s Acupuncture & Fertility advice

Research shows that approximately 10% of the reproductive-age population in the Western World is affected by infertility and the causes lie jointly between men and women. Often there is lack of support provided to men in the area of infertility – both in terms of their own personal infertility and that of their partner. In nearly 30% of all infertility cases, the cause is attributed to male-factor infertility.  And in an additional 30% of cases, the cause is attributed to the combined male and female factors.  However the vast majority of treatments, support, information and advice around infertility tend to be directed towards women.
 
When a couple first seeks help or advice on fertility from a medical professional, it will be the woman who is tested and, if she is over the age of 30 years, it may be some time before anyone even considers testing her partner. There are general assumptions about cause and the focus tends initially to be on the female’s age, lifestyle and diet, thus ignoring what could be a much easier issue to solve, male infertility.

A little considered aspect of discovering male infertility is the emotional fallout from this awareness. If the assumption all along has been that it’s a female issue, when the male is suddenly identified it can be harrowing. This can impact on both partners and potentially cause significant stress within the relationship at a time when they particularly need to be working together.

When a couple are seeking fertility treatment they should always ensure both parties are tested at the same time. This can avoid wasting a lot of time and also involves the male partner in the process from the outset.

Some Useful Tips for Men Include:

Get a sperm analysis done with a reputable clinic- ask for a full analysis and discuss the findings with your health care professional.
If sperm count is low or motility is low there are number of checks that you should insist on:

• A full hormone profile- this is done via a blood test
• Ask your doctor to check your prostate for any swelling or possible infection
• Ask your doctor to check for any signs of varicoseals or any other testicular blockages
• Ask for a scan and insist on a full physical examination
• Change your diet to eliminate all processed foods and drink more clean fluoride free water

When a man is informed, for example, that he has a low sperm count and/or low motility, it becomes a double blow within the infertility treatment system in Ireland. Not only has he told he may be impotent, but due to the female emphasis of infertility treatment and, in particular, during IVF, a man can be left feeling denuded of his capacity to take action. Isolation and helplessness is often the consequence.

How Acupuncture Can Help

There have been numerous studies which show that acupuncture treatment has a very positive effect on both sperm quantity and mobility. With the assistance of acupuncture, couples may even avoid the potentially high costs of IVF altogether.

Scientific Evidence on the Impact of Acupuncture on Male Infertility

• 22 patients with idiopathic male infertility, who failed in ICSI, were treated with acupuncture twice weekly for 8 weeks followed by a repeat of ICSI treatment. The sperm concentration, motility, morphology, fertilisation rates and consequent embryo quality was observed.  Sperm motility after acupuncture improved significantly. The normal sperm ratio was increased after acupuncture. The fertilisation rates (66.2%) were significantly higher and embryo quality improved. J Huangzhong Iniv Sci Technol med Sci 2002;22(3):228-30

 

• 16 patients with subfertility due to poor sperm motility were treated with acupuncture twice a week for 5 weeks and compared with a control group. The sperm motility and intactness of the axonema was greatly increased in the study group. Siterman S, Eltes F, Wolfson V, Zabludovsky N, Bartoov B

 

• In a case of 28 men suffering from low sperm counts, poor motility or poor morphology, each patient was given 10 acupuncture treatments over a period of 3 weeks. The spermiograms and hormone levels were checked before and after receiving acupuncture. Total count, concentration and motility were evaluated and in all cases the researchers observed a statistically significant improvement of sperm quality. Ischl F, Riegler R, Bieglmayer C, Nasr F, Neumark J

 

• A study was carried out on 54 men with subfertility. They were given 1-3 months of acupuncture treatments and sperm analysis was carried out before and after treatment. 55.5% of patients impregnated their partners during that period of time and 24% showed a significant improvement in their sperm quality. 20% of patients, previously diagnosed with azoospermia and immune disturbance, did not experience improvement. The greatest improvement was seen in patients with abnormal sperm. Journal of Chinese Medicine, 1996 September

For more information please see www.karencostin.com contact me on 087-2623287 or email info@karencostin.com.