Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine | Male Infertility

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine for Male Infertility

It is said that Male Factor Infertility and Sub-Infertility accounts for 40% of all fertility problems. The biggest mistake we see clinically is for couples putting all the emphasis on treating the female and neglecting to address the male side, and by simply also treating the male can reduce the total amount of time it takes for a couple to conceive.

 

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Treatment takes a holistic approach, working with Nutritional supplements, Dietary changes, Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine in order to aid in improving sperm numbers and quality.

 

Unlike the numbers often quoted by a medical practitioner we take in mind that for many couples higher rates are actually needed to conceive naturally. Once study suggested that in order to conceive naturally a man would need above the following parameters;

 

  • Motility – Greater than 63%
  • Normal forms – Greater than 12% (1)

 

This is compared with the following acceptable rates for assisted fertility (revised numbers as published by WHO to reflect declining sperm quality worldwide);
  • Volume 2mls
  • Concentration 1.5million/ml
  • Progressive motility 50%
  • Normal forms 4%

Supplements that you should also be having

 

  • Male fertility focused multi-vitamin; Containing at least 50mg of zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium
  • Take CoQ10 (Ubiquinol) 300mg per day
  • Acetyl-l-carnitine 500-1,000 mg/day, (if using L-carnitine increase dosage to 2,000-3,000 mg/day)
* Want more individualised recommendations please ask us. We are happy to make individual prescriptions or brands.

Foods that you should be eating

 

  • Foods that are high in zinc include pumpkin seeds, liver, walnuts, oysters, yogurt, turkey, peas, and shrimp. 10 -12 oysters a week can give you a fantastic zinc boost, so next date night is seafood.
  • Foods that are high in selenium include Brazil nuts, liver, snapper, cod, halibut, tuna, salmon, sardines, shrimp, and turkey.
  • Foods that are high in vitamin C, which is abundant in plants and fruits including red peppers, broccoli, cranberries, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and citrus fruit (3)
  • Eat plenty of fish and omega 3
  • Reduce coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and recreational drug use

Other things to consider

 

  • Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be fantastic for male health and fertility
  • Check with your doctor that any prescribed medications are not affecting your sperm health
  • Avoid situations that you overheat such as sauna, steam rooms and hot tubs. Even overheating at night can be an issue
  • Consider a sperm friendly lubricant such as preseed; http://www.preseed.com/
  • Exercise when possible to reduce stress or other stress busting activities. Men who spent more than an hour and a half each week engaging in physical activity outdoors had a 42% higher sperm concentration than those who spent no time outdoors (4)
  • Sex with a greater connection yields better sperm, so quality not quantity is the key where possible!

References

  1. Matthew Tomlinson, Sheena Lewis and David Morroll (2013); Sperm quality and its relationship to natural and assisted conception: British Fertility Society Guidelines for practice; Human Fertility, 2013; Early Online: 1–19
  2. He Y, Chen CT, Qian LH, Xia CL, Li J, Li SQ, Liu BP (2015); Acupuncture treatment of male infertility: a systematic review; Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2015 Jul;21(7):637-45.
  3. Hethir Rodriguez (2016); Increasing Low Sperm Count and Improving Male Fertility; http://natural-fertility-info.com/mens-fertility
  4. Dennis Thompson (2013); Exercise Might Boost Men’s Sperm Counts, Study Finds; http://www.everydayhealth.com/mens-health/1015/exercise-might-boost-mens-sperm-counts-study-finds.aspx
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