Male Infertility and Chinese Medicine

It is estimated that male infertility is responsible in approximately 40% of the cases of infertility. Male infertility from a western perspective may be caused by deficient sperm count, insufficient motility, or poor sperm morphology. Depending on the cause of infertility, Western medicine would employ Clomid, varicocele surgery, artificial insemination, or IVF.

The TCM treatment of male infertility relies on the prescription of Chinese herbal formulas, dietary and lifestyle changes, and acupuncture. Creation of new sperms takes approximately 70 days, thus treatment often would last for at least 6 months.

re can also address some disorders relating to infertility, especially when motility is an issue. In this case, acupuncture may even provide a short term benefit and thus would be useful when applied at the time of the female partner’s ovulation or timed for IVF and IUI procedures.